A Stupid Excuse for a Fairy Tale
by TaintedMoonlight
Summary: Princes aren’t real, but demons are; kingdoms fall, but others are discovered. The heroine shines and everyone else dulls. Modern day fairy tales are hard to come across and this one isn’t one at all. --AU--
1. Sometimes Jobs Don't Totally Suck

_**A Stupid Excuse for a Fairy Tale**_

* * *

_Ch.1:__Sometimes Jobs Don't Totally Suck_

* * *

**A/N:** I'm not entirely sure I like this story. I started writing this about…five months ago, and it's dominated most of my writing time. (Well this story and a different GaaHina one which may never see the light of day.) I've mostly finished this fic and since it _is_ pretty much finished I figured I might as well post it up. So this one will be updated regularly, whenever I get around to spell checking and looking over my grammar and style. I don't ever have anyone check my stories so I do all that stuff myself –shrug– to lazy to get a beta. I would guess I'd have a new chapter up at _least_ once every two weeks. Okay so this story is set in like modern times and it's during summer vacation I guess. The kids are in high school but not currently in high school if that makes sense. Or maybe they're in college. I don't really have a time setting, just that they're teenagers. So, yeah.

Oh! And a number in a bolded parenthesis signifies a footnote. --IE **(5)**

* * *

Forty-four.

Forty-five.

Forty-six.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Forty-seven.

Forty-eight.

Forty-nine.

"Ahem!"

Fifty.

Fifty-one.

"Excuse me!"

Temari sighed, and stopped counting the ceiling tiles to look at the irked customer. "Yeah?" Not that she really needed to count. She'd counted them a few times before. As far as she could see, there were 137. There would probably be more if she could walk around the entire store and count them all, but she was stuck behind a counter.

Customer-freaking-service.

She really wasn't a people person; the manager must have been drunk when he decided to stick her in that particular detail. She could deal with being a cashier, stock person, hell she'd even live if she could be one of those idiots running around asking if anyone needed any freaking help. But she just had to be in customer service detail.

Before her was a slightly irritated blonde, with shiny pink lips pursed, and eyes narrowed. She slid a pink tank top across the counter. "I want to return this." The blonde was chewing bubble-gum so her words slid out slightly mushed together.

Temari was sure _some_ hormone-crazed boy would find the blonde's slur attractive. Temari on the other hand, found it frustrating. "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why do you want to return it?" Temari asked disinterestedly. She'd long since given up trying to sound nice. According to her brothers (who continually came into the store just to poke fun at her) she sounded like those irritating women on those shopping specials that had those disgusting smiles plastered on their faces twenty-four-seven and their voice was so sharp it could pop a balloon. Really, could you get any more fake?

"Because I don't want it."

Obviously. "So, it's that just…you didn't like it?" Temari questioned stifling back a yawn.

The blonde flicked her bangs back. "Duh."

Lord, these little girlies were annoying. _My hair is so perfect, my clothes are top-notch; you just want to be me or be with me._ Seriously. She tended avoiding people like these on a daily basis and here she was being forced to interact with them. "Do you have a receipt?"

The blonde leaned forward. "See," Her eyes roamed over to Temari's name-tag, a fake smile spread across her glossed-up lips, "Temari, one of my careless friends was just stupid enough to toss the receipt, so I—"

Temari glared at the blonde woman. "No receipt, no returns."

The woman pursed her lips. "But—"

"I don't want to repeat myself."

The blonde woman harrumphed and snatched the shirt from the counter.

Temari could swear the blonde was cursing her out as she stomped off.

"DANG IT!"

Temari turned her head to the left. She leant against the counter propping her head up on her hands. A spiky-haired blonde boy was playing with that stuffed-animal crane machine. The boy growled and shoved his hand in his pocket rummaging about inside it for some change. Temari smirked. He'd been there for over an hour now. The boy really was horrible at the game. The boy scowled upon pulling out a few rumpled dollar bills.

He walked over to her counter. "Do you have change?"

Temari took the horribly wrinkled and worn dollar bills from his hands. "Yeah, give me a second."

The boy squinted at her. "Do I know you?"

She thought she should know him. Gaara knew him at least, but Temari couldn't remember his name. "You know my brother." She opened the casher changing his three dollars into quarters.

"You're Gaara's sister?"

"Yeah. Not much of a resemblance, I know." She handed him the quarters.

"You work here?"

Temari smiled a bit. "I have for awhile."

"Really?" He paused, his blue eyes scrutinizing the top of her head. "Your hair's weird."

It didn't sound like much of an insult coming from the blonde boy. He just seemed to be saying what he thought. Temari absentmindedly pulled at one of her ponytails. She shrugged.

"I'm Naruto."

"Temari." She paused. "What are you trying to get? You've been feeding that machine quarters for awhile now."

The boy grinned sheepishly. "There's this animal that a girl I like made a fuss over yesterday. I thought if I could win it for her, she might go on a date with me."

Temari's mouth formed into a small 'o'. She smiled widely. One of her rare true smiles. Who knew males like this one existed? "She must be really special to you."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but ran back to the contraption as another walked in the machine's direction. "I'm playing!" He said to the newcomer.

The other one, a bored-looking boy with black hair pulled into a tight ponytail yawned. "I wasn't going to play that stupid thing anyway, Naruto."

Temari looked at the blonde boy and his apparent friend. Naruto seemed like a very sweet boy. Who knew there were still people who would be willing to do things like that? After all, the boy had probably wasted more money trying to get a girl a stupid stuffed toy just because she liked it, other than just buying her something impersonal like a necklace. There was something deeply adorable about the fact that he would waste so much time and put so much effort into getting a girl a small gift.

Actions speak louder than words, she mused.

"Naruto," the new boy drawled, "how long have you been at this?"

Naruto grumbled incoherently, as the toy he was trying for eluded him once more. "I dunno. Ask Temari. She probably knows. I've been on here around the time she started her shift."

Temari started. She'd have figured the blonde would've already forgotten her name.

"Who?"

"The blonde." Naruto explained as he fed the machine another quarter. "Customer-service."

The lanky boy's eyes roamed over to her. She was surprised to find that he didn't look away quickly, or avoid her eyes like most did when they looked at a stranger. Instead his dark eyes just met her own and held there for a bit. Then he re-directed his attention to Naruto. "You've been playing this machine for about an hour and a half?" He asked incredulous.

Temari blinked. How did that one estimate the time so well? Surely he didn't just happen to know her schedule…

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

The boy leant against the clear plastic of the crane machine. "You're not doing this shit for Sakura are you?"

She could see his wide smile. "How'd you know?"

The other, slightly taller boy, rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't waste your time."

Naruto ignored him.

"You've probably fed that machine more money that it would take to buy her _fifteen_ small stuffed animals."

"So?" Naruto scowled as he missed again. The boy stuck his hand in his pocket then pulled it out empty. He scowled. "I'm out of money." He turned his blue eyes onto the lanky one.

The lanky one in turn scoffed at the blonde. "No way, Naruto. I'm not giving you money to waste on this rubbish."

Naruto scowled. "Great."

Temari sighed. She opened the cashbox and took out eight quarters. "Naruto!"

The blonde boy turned to look at her.

She held out her palm filled with shiny silver quarters. "Here."

Naruto skittered over to her happily. "Are you serious?"

She shrugged.

He took the quarters from her hand. "Thank you, Temari! You're the greatest!"

The lanky one rolled his eyes again. "You shouldn't have done that, you know." He said to her as Naruto started feeding the thing quarters again.

"And why not?" She snapped.

"Two reasons." The boy yawned. "He'll bother you now. Once Naruto decides you're an okay person he won't leave you alone. And two, what he's doing is pointless."

Pointless? It was – It was – It certainly wasn't _pointless_. It was nice. She'd rather have a boy win her a dumb stuffed animal worth a quarter than have a boy give her an expensive pretty _anything_. Then again, her brothers constantly called her weird… Weirdness had to be more fun than being average anyway, she reasoned. Normalcy is so overrated.

Temari tried to convince herself that throwing something at the boy's head would be a bad breech of her 'cordial' customer service persona. She might get fired after all. Temari pointedly ignored him.

The lanky boy smirked.

Naruto sighed as he looked at his last quarter. The lanky one rolled his eyes and snatched the quarter from Naruto's hands. "Oh, move over."

"Hey!"

But before Naruto could mutter another word in protest the lanky boy was moving the crane about flawlessly. The metal arms closed around the small stuffed lion Naruto had elusively tried to obtain.

"No way!" Naruto said in astonishment. "How did you do that?! I've been trying for ages!"

Shikamaru bent down to receive his prize and tossed it to Naruto. "It's not that hard."

Naruto held the lion in his hands, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, _everything_ is easy for you, _genius_." Sarcasm dripped from his mouth at the word 'genius'.

The lanky one – Shikamaru apparently – rolled his eyes.

"What're you doing here anyway?" Naruto pressed.

He shrugged calmly, looking completely disinterested in his surroundings, "Better than being at home. Yoshino has got in her head that the house needs to be redecorated; if I'm around she'll put me to work."

Temari couldn't help the indigenous snort that escaped from her. Naruto and Shikamaru looked at her. The lanky one—Shikamaru looked at her like she was an insufferable snoop. Okay, so she _was_ listening to their conversation, but hey, anyone would if they were stuck in customer-freaking-service. Hardly anyone even looked twice at her and the only time she _could_ converse was with annoying little twits who looked down their noses at her. So she worked, big deal. She would've replied to them, but at that exact moment some boorish old man dropped some item on the counter.

Gag. How she hated this job.

About ten minutes later, she'd finally gotten the man straightened away. Complainers, complainers, all these people did was complain about things that was not the store's problem. Much to her added depression, she saw the Naruto and the lank—Shikamaru were no longer by the crane machine.

Temari scowled. She normally wasn't a very social butterfly. Mostly because she just tended to have a very nasty temperament. Most people pissed her off, and in turn most people were just annoyed by her; so social interactions weren't too high on her list of things to do, they also weren't that important to her either. But she was just feeling like an all-around social outcast lately. Okay, so they did only move here a few months ago, but really, even Gaara had friends – and that boy was even more anti-social than she tended to be.

It was her attitude, she knew, but it wasn't her entire fault. She didn't want to move to this freakishly green and humid area anyway.

She sighed and raised her eyes back to the ceiling, ready to begin counting once more.

She needed a hobby.

Or a boyfriend.

Temari winced as that last thought ran through her head. Boyfriend? Ugh, get real. Boys were stupid. The problem with this consensus of hers, was that secretly she was a romantic. Secretly she wanted a chivalrous guy, she wanted to be hugged, she wanted a boy to give her something that meant something – not some stupid gift that someone told him a girl would like. Secretly, Temari wanted her very own prince charming.

Unfortunately, those were pretty much extinct.

And the ones that _did_ exist doted upon those picture-perfect _normal_ girls. And that, she most definitely was not.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Temari blinked suddenly, as out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand push something at her. She looked down to find a warm, fantastic-smelling, chocolate-chip cookie on a white napkin. She looked over to the person who'd slid it toward her.

It was that Shikamaru. He was leaning lazily against the counter, to the side of her so he was diagonally across from her. In his hands he held a similar cookie. He took a small bite out of it and looked at her. It wasn't a very curious gaze or scrutinizing, or even interested. In fact, as his dark eyes looked at her – _at_ her, not _over_ her – he looked completely jaded. Now that he was closer, she saw he wasn't quite as lanky as she'd perceived. He was pretty tall, and thin, but not obtrusively thin. Upon closer look, Temari might venture to say he had muscles – nothing that would label him as bulky, but she could see the beginnings of muscles. His eyebrows were rather thing – comical almost, she wondered absently if he plucked them. His hair, she saw now, wasn't black, but rather a dark brown.

She looked at him and then back at the cookie before her. This was probably one of those time when she should use her voice, but she simply couldn't think of any words, and she didn't want to risk just opening her mouth to talk – she might just gargle out some inhuman sound.

"You looked hungry." He said slowly, dispassionately.

She looked at the cookie. My, it smelled delicious. She just couldn't bring herself to pick it up. She looked back at Shikamaru. What was with him? Normally most people tended to avoid her; Kankurou said it was because she just happened to _always_ look pissed off.

She saw the edge of his lip twitch, as if daring to rise into a smile. "I didn't poison the cookie, you know."

"How am I supposed to know that? I don't even know you. For all I know, you could've." She said without thinking.

This time he did smile.

Temari was oddly comforted by this fact. She didn't think this boy smiled often. She picked up the cookie. "Thanks, I guess." She tried hard to not to moan in appreciation. She loved cookies. She raised it to her mouth, then paused, "That is, if you didn't poison it."

"I guess we'll see."

She took a small bite and eyed him critically as she chewed. "What're you doing here?" She wanted to bite her tongue as she realized how that had come out. Jeez, first she's upset that she can't really talk to people and then she acts like some rude bitch to the first person who tries. No wonder she doesn't have any friends in this stupid town.

He didn't appear offended at all. "Like I said to Naruto, I don't want to go home. This is one of the few places to go in this town."

"Redecorating can't be that bad." She muttered absent-mindedly.

He scoffed. "It is when Yoshino is concerned. Most of the town is terrified of her."

"Yoshino?"

"My mother."

"Ah." She took another bite. One that was probably too large to be lady-like on her. "I still don't think it can be that bad."

"If you and your siblings stick around long enough, you'll see how bad she is."

Temari hesitated. "Why…Why are you talking to me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What; am I annoying you?"

"No – No," Temari immediately replied, "I just…" She sighed. "Never mind. Forget I said anything." She pulled at one of her ponytails.

"You hate it here, don't you?" He questioned, still appearing apathetic.

She pulled a little too tightly at her ponytail and winced. "I wouldn't say 'hate'… It's just…" she wrinkled her nose. "It's so damn green and rainy here. It's damned unnatural. You know when I walk, my feet squish with the usual water splattered on the ground."

He smiled. "The green will grow on you."

"I doubt it. I miss dry sand and hot sun."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes. Something that disappeared as soon as it was gone. "What's it like? Where you come from."

She blinked, dumbfounded. "You really want to know?"

"I asked, didn't I?"

Temari crumpled up the empty napkin, already missing the sweet melty chocolate goodness. "Well, it's always very hot. Pretty opposite of this. It's also not the least bit humid. Very dry, but come night time it gets very cold. In the winters, it gets cold, but not too cold, and strangely enough, no matter what the weather is like, the sun never disappears from sight. It hardly ever rains. I think, in all my life, before coming here, I'd only seen the rain twice. It's also a much bigger than here. More stores and stuff." She pressed her lips together trying to figure out how to explain it. Sure it was more…urban, but the appeal was so much more aesthetic. The hardest thing to explain she found was explaining the splendor – to justify a beauty that didn't depend on the sparse, spiny vegetation that often looked half dead, a beauty that had more to do with the exposed shape of the land, with shallow bowls of valleys between the craggy hills, and the way they held on to the sun. She found herself using her hands as she tried to explain it. **(1)**

He leaned forward, still appearing bored out of his mind, but his posture said different.

"It was harder though, I think. To live there, for Gaara anyway." She shrugged. "Not many people liked him, and vice versa. Not that I mind too terribly. I wasn't very fond of the people there either. I guess I just liked the weather, and not having to drive for an hour to get to a movie theatre." She propped her head on her hand. "Better job selections too. And, the _food_." Her eyes closed involuntarily. "They had some very pleasant traditional dishes."

Her eyes flicked open as she heard a slight chuckle spill from Shikamaru. Indeed, he _was_ quietly laughing.

"What?" She asked tersely, feeling very abused.

"Nothing."

"It was something. You _did_ laugh."

"Okay, it was something."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "_And_?"

"And what?"

She huffed. "You're really pissing me off, you know."

He smiled. "Good."

Temari rolled her eyes. She started as the sound of a phone ringing reached her ears. And it wasn't that nasally sound that the store's phone had, it was, shockingly the Mexican Hat dance song.

Before her Shikamaru blinked. She saw his eyes roll and he muttered something idly under his breath. The boy pulled out an old phone from his pocket and flicked open it.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Temari winced. It was loud. Whoever was calling him was extremely and obscenely loud. And angry sounding to boot.

The tall lethargic boy muttered something into the phone softly, wincing as the woman (Temari thought it sounded strikingly like a woman) yelled something back at him. Temari couldn't hear what Shikamaru was saying, but she could see his lips moving ever-so-slightly, and a soft murmur of un-indistinguishable words spilling from his mouth. She found her eyes were tracing the way his lips moved. They barely seemed to move, but she was sure that whatever he was saying was clearly distinguishable, otherwise the woman on the phone would be yelling something else entirely. Another set of murmurs and he closed the phone.

He looked at her. "Yoshino."

His mother…Maybe she was as bad as he made her sound. _Maybe_…

"I'll see you around, Temari." She felt a slight of shivers engulf her as he said her name. The sound of his soft, husky, slurred words sounding out her name was very intoxicating.

She didn't even get to _begin_ to think of a reply, because Shikamaru was already making his way out the store. What a strange person…

Temari glanced at the clock.

Good, she only had ten minutes left of this torture.

Though she had to admit today had been by far the best work day in her time working in this stupid little town.

* * *

**A/N:** So _please_ review; this is my first try at an AU and I want to know if I'm just horribly messing this up. If you guys think it _is_ bad, I won't post up the rest of this. By the by, in case you're interested, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I've now written over 30,000 words on this.

**(1)** "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer – Ch.11 Pg. 232. (When Bella is describing Phoenix to Edward.)


	2. Nothing's More Annoying Than Gossip

_Ch.2:__Nothing's More Annoying Than Gossip_

* * *

Temari gritted her teeth bitterly and tried desperately to calm the irate voices in her head. "No receipt, no exchanges."

The woman before her was scowling and waved the article of clothing in Temari's face angrily. "Do you see this?! I can't wear this ridicule! How is it my fault my idiot sister bought me this ridiculous item and tossed the receipt!? No! You MUST let me—"

"I _must_ let you do nothing! I cannot allow you to exchange anything unless you have a damn receipt!"

The woman leaned forward a bit, a conspiratorial smile settling on her lips. "I won't tell anyone you let me do this." She winked at her. "It can be our little secret."

Temari closed her eyes and envisioned a happier place. "Lady, I don't even _like_ you. Why would I do that?" Temari opened her eyes slowly. "I can do NOTHING for you."

The woman's scowl was vicious. "Let me talk to your manager."

"He's fucking busy."

"Are you swearing at me!?"

"You're irritating me. I'd say it's a fair trade."

"I DEMAND to speak to your manager."

"You – Actually, that would be an excellent idea. Tell him how much you hate me and how I'm incapable of conversing with human beings. Go on, shoo. Go get me demoted." Temari waved her away. "He's over in his office." She pointed forward. "Right there."

The woman faltered a bit, clearly confused, then her eyes sharpened and she stomped over to the office.

Temari scowled and rested her forehead on the desk. Maybe that irksome woman could talk some sense into Kana. Get him to realize she wasn't up to this job.

Then again, she considered, getting demoted would be bad. Usually demotions came with a lowering of pay and that would not be good. Especially since Kankurou sucked down food like their vacuum sucked up dust (he was probably more efficient than the vacuum when she thought about it). It's not as if they could really live on the spare bit of money that Baki sent them every now and then.

Ugh.

Maybe cussing at the woman had been a bad idea.

"If this job bothers you so much, why don't you quit?"

The voice was lazy, apathetic, and even though Temari would never admit it out loud, a tad bit sexy.

She raised her head from the desk not having heard anyone approach.

Shikamaru was leaning casually against the counter looking incredibly bored. Damn, he must be real sneaky. "'Cause I need the money."

More like her brothers needed the money. _She_ could live on Baki's sporadic payments, but boys were so…ugh. Seriously. Greedy, picky bastards. They'd gotten far too used to living 'comfortably'. Not that she hated them or anything – she loved them, deeply so; but that didn't mean there weren't times when she wanted to strangle the living daylights out of them.

"Hn."

Temari stared at him for a bit, and then dropped her head back onto the counter, trying to figure out how to fix the problem she'd started. By now, Temari really should know better than to be so rude to customers. Ugh. Okay, so maybe she'd gotten a little bit too used to living 'comfortably' as well. You didn't have to be overly courteous when you had money.

"Excu—"

"I already told you, Blondie," Temari mumbled into her hands, "no receipt no exchange."

"Hmph! _Excuse __**me**_! This time I have a receipt!"

Temari straightened and looked the girl in the eye. It was the same blonde girl that had wanted to return a pink top a few days ago. This one was in the store almost every day and usually came to complain to her about something. Returning the shirt had been her frequent demand for the last three, maybe four days, but she'd had other complaints.

Chewed gum under tables. All the bottles of perfume she wanted were used; even though there were EXACT same copies of the bottle she wanted but didn't want those because the sticker or box was wrinkly and old looking. The store should import Anna Kadin or Arni Kanna or some chick's fashion line. Some guy was listening to his headphones too loudly. 'Forehead girl' (whoever or whatever that was) took the shirt/skirt/jacket _she_ wanted to buy. _Really_, the blonde's complaints were endless.

Temari could tell her apart immediately. For one, she always smelled incredibly strongly of lilies. Two, she was always chewing bubble-gum. Three, her heels always clicked on the floor in this obnoxiously annoying way that Temari could never really describe, merely KNEW. And four, her voice was haughty, squeaky, and laced with a well-practiced 'nice' tone. Temari resisted the urge to yawn. "Do you, now?"

The blonde happily (and a bit smugly) handed her a receipt. Temari looked down at it and studied the contents carefully.

"What're you doing here?"

Temari was about to raise an eyebrow and scowl when she realized the blonde wasn't talking to her, but to the lazy figure still leaning against the counter. Hunh, she thought he'd left.

The lazy figure shrugged.

Blondie scowled. "Honestly, Shikamaru!"

So Blondie knew Lazy. Odd. Considering she seemed a bit too much _trouble_ for someone like him. Then again, he probably talked to her because of _it_. It being Blondie's appearance. Most guys seemed to go for that shtick. Skinny little things that looked like Barbie dolls.

Temari handed her back the receipt. "No receipt, no exchange."

The blonde's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about?! I just gave you—"

"It's fake." Temari interrupted.

The blonde huffed. "It _is_ not!"

Temari raised an eyebrow. "Is so. I'm not stupid, I may be a bitch, but I'm not stupid."

"It is an authentic receipt!"

"So if I ran the code number on the computer it would match your shirt's code number?"

"H…How would you know the shirt's code number?"

"It's not too hard, you just cross-log the data of sold inventory, and pitch in the right date, it should match up to the given—"

"OH FINE!" She pouted bitterly. "It's fake." She crumpled the paper up and tossed in the nearby trash, all the while giving her an evil look. "I don't like you. Not in the least."

"That's okay; the list of people that don't like me is already so long one other person wouldn't make a difference." Temari muttered disinterestedly.

The blonde stared at her in confusion or maybe appall. Temari wasn't really sure. "You are beyond weird, you know. Everyone's right about you."

"Oh that's good. I'd hate to disappoint the larger mass of the conforming population. It's good to know I live up to standards here as much as I did in Suna."

"_Freak_." Blondie muttered as she walked away, giving her an odd stare.

"Shirts don't have code numbers." Shikamaru said to her, in what Temari suspected was a very mocking tone.

"So? She doesn't know that." Temari was about to slump her head against the counter again when she heard a distinct sound coming from the lazy one. She looked at him sharply. His body was shaking slightly and there was a smile on his lips. He was laughing!

Okay, not really laughing, more like chuckling, but _still_.

"What is so damn funny?"

"Ino's right. You're a bit odd."

Temari scowled. Odd? _Odd_? She wanted to smack him. Her eyes narrowed. "Go away."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't mean it like Ino said it. Odd in a good way."

"How can you possibly be 'odd' in a good way?" Temari questioned somewhat angrily. She wasn't sure if he was just trying to appease her or if he really thought there was a good way of being odd. "And is Ino the princess blonde?"

He shrugged, the smile still tugging at his lips. "It's possible. And really, 'princess blonde'? Where'd you get that from?"

"She acts like she's some fucking princess. Don't evade the subject. What is a good _odd_?"

"You're a good odd." He smirked.

Temari glared at him. For a lazy-appearing boy he was incredibly annoying. "You are aggravating."

"Really? And here I thought I was charming." It was sarcastic, but the boy was still smiling.

Temari couldn't get rid of the overpowering urge to smack him. "Go away." She repeated.

"Don't think so."

Temari closed her eyes. Can't…hit…customers…Can't…Showing bad example to Gaara…Must not…

"You're amusing when you try to control your anger."

"Do you _want_ me to hit you?" she hissed at him.

He merely inclined his head and watched her.

Ugh! _Men_! Horrible creatures. An idea occurred to her suddenly. She was reminded of the blonde boy – Naruto. "What happened to Naruto?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

"That girl he was trying to…impress."

He yawned, but Temari couldn't suppress the distinct impression that instead of really being as disinterested as he appeared he was studying her. Really now, she was being ridiculous. "Sakura looked at him like he was a fish. Said thank you, then chased after Sasuke, ignoring Naruto for the whole day; except for this one bit when she hit him for insulting Sasuke."

Temari blinked. Sasuke…she knew that one. Gaara knew him too. He was a rather sullen, broody, I'm-cooler-than-you-are kind of boy. Sakura, though, was a new name.

He stared blankly at her, and then blinked. "Oh right. Sasuke is—"

"I know Sasuke, but not the other one. The girl."

"Pink hair. Green eyes. Loud. Usually around with Ino bickering. One of the many in the Sasuke fan-club." He looked at her closely at the last sentence.

Oh! She was that _one_. Blondie was always complaining and arguing with her. Temari had had them kicked out a few times.

She grinned at the thought. That had been fun.

She was so involved in her memories of kicking the girls out that she didn't notice that Shikamaru had been watching her, but she did catch him rolling his eyes. He pushed himself lazily off the counter and began to walk away. "Hey, wait!" Temari scowled as soon as the words were out in open air. Was she really that desperate for company?

A nagging voice in the back of her head said that to be honest he was pretty good company, overlooking of course the small bits of wanting to smack him.

He stared blankly at her. "What?" His voice was different. A bit colder and definitely disinterested. Before, he just seemed to appear apathetic, but _now_ he really seemed not to care.

She blinked, feeling more wounded than she probably should. "Oh, fine." She muttered cynically. "Sorry for _bothering_ you."

He seemed a bit confused at her reaction, but he didn't ask her anything, he just walked off.

Temari scowled involuntarily. Idiot.

She watched as he walked away, (she reasoned it was because shee had nothing better to watch) and noted Naruto pop out of nowhere and start conversing (rather loudly) with Shikamaru. Beside Naruto was the brooding 'hunk' of Konoha, Sasuke, and beside him was the pink-haired girl, Sakura, Temari thought it was. The blonde boy stopped talking briefly; Shikamaru was probably saying something, then the blond boy started ranting and waving his arms about. Sakura looked back at where Temari was. The pink haired girl's eyes were narrowed and a fierce scowl settled across her lips. Against her better judgment, Temari jumped at the look she was given. Sakura's glare was decisively chilly. Then Sasuke turned to assess her briefly. Assess was really the only word Temari could use. His eyes seemed to stare at her as if he was staring down into her soul, almost like he was deciding who she was and if she was worthy.

It bothered her immensely.

"Temari would never!" Temari heard Naruto exclaim loudly. Temari found herself wishing she could see Shikamaru's expression. What was the lazy one telling them?

Temari found she didn't have to wonder long as the pink-haired creature stomped over to where she was.

Sakura's green eyes, Temari found, reminded her a bit of Gaara's. They weren't exactly the same shade or…style, but they still reminded her of her little brother. Temari was leaning comfortably on the counter but straightened at the girl's approach. The pink-haired thing was livid, for some reason. (Who had pink hair nowadays anyway? Temari briefly wondered if the girl had a hair-dye malfunction. Those were always funny.) Temari might have asked if the girl didn't look quite so angry.

The girl paused right before her desk, the sinister glare still in her eyes. "Sasuke is mine."

Temari stared impassively at her. "Good to know."

"He doesn't need another pathetic girl like you chasing after—"

Temari almost fell to the floor. "I'm not chasing after that _idiot_!" She protested immediately, shuddering visibly at the thought. The boy might _look_ good, but she had no intention of chasing after a boy quite so…dour. What a gloomy romance that would be. Temari was one for romance not…horror stories. She wanted to gag at the thought.

"Don't lie!" Sakura protested. "Shikamaru told us that you—"

"_What_ did that idiot say?" Temari asked tersely. Fantasies of how to kill him began flowing through her mind. Asphyxiation was always fun. Pushing him off a tall building would be easier though, and harder to trace back to her.

_How could that–?_ He didn't even _know_ her! Temari didn't even bother to wait for Sakura's reply. Instead she stormed over to Naruto, Sasuke, and the idiot himself. Ignoring the other two, she placed her hand roughly on Shikamaru's shoulder and pulled him around to face her. "What the hell is your problem?"

He stared blankly at her.

Naruto seemed a bit shocked by her reaction and Sasuke annoyed. Temari didn't really care. She was pissed off. Sure, she got angry easily, but there were a few things she didn't stand for at all. Rumors were one of those things. "Are you so pathetic that you need to start some stupid rumor about stupid things like this!? Jeez, you fucking _asshole_." She dropped her hold of his shoulder. "If you wanna go about gossiping at least gossip about something _true_. Don't make me out to be one those Barbie-dolls that chase after this idiot." She pointed at Sasuke. "You are unbelievable, you know that?!" She was fuming, she knew. Before she could stop herself she kicked him in the shins.

Hard.

Shikamaru winced and jumped about on one leg to remove the pressure from the leg she'd just kicked.

She turned on Sasuke. "I don't like you. I'm not part of your fan club." She informed him. "As a matter of fact, you kind of creep me out." Then she faced Naruto. Struggling a bit to suppress her anger, she smiled at him. "Hey, Naruto."

Naruto grinned at her. 'Hi, Temari." He turned to stare self-righteously at Shikamaru. "I told you, jerk."

Shikamaru just scowled, the pain apparently still bothering him. "Damn, woman."

Temari resisted the urge to kick his other leg. Instead she flipped him off and headed back to her stupid, ungrateful, counter of doom.

She slumped behind her counter propping her head up with one hand. The other hand was tapping angrily against the wood.

Men!

_Men_!

Ugh. How she hated men!

Okay, not all men. Kankurou was okay (On occasion). Gaara was nice (Now, anyway). Naruto was decent (So far…).

"Temari?"

She started. Looking up she realized the manager was standing before her. "What?" She winced, she probably shouldn't address her boss in such a pissed off tone, "I mean, is there a problem?"

He shook his head, "No, you've been doing an excellent job."

She blinked. _I have?_

"Just next time, don't tell people I'm in my office. If they ask to speak to me, brush them off, like you do with everyone else."

Temari stared blankly at him. "I…uhm…okay then." The manager departed swiftly leaving her very confused. So there was no problem with her cussing out customers? What was up with _that_?

That's it, Konoha was crazy.

"You look like a fish."

Temari started once more. This time it was her brother standing by her counter. Jeez, how could people sneak up so easily on her? Was she _that_ out of it? "A fish, Gaara?"

He nodded. "Your eyes are big and your mouth keeps opening and closing rather stupidly."

Temari scowled. "Oh, shut up."

Gaara's green eyes stared at her for a few seconds. "You're pissed off."

Temari grumbled incoherently.

"Why?"

She just glared at him.

Gaara glared back.

Having these sorts of arguments with Gaara were…weird at best. With Kankurou she'd be yelling at him and cussing him out – and eventually she'd win. With Gaara, the whole argument was done silently, through glares and body movements. Winning a battle where not a word was said was a pretty hard thing for her to do.

She sighed. "Shikamaru."

He peered at her then looked behind his shoulder to the loud Naruto, broody Sasuke, flirty Sakura, and annoying-as-hell Shikamaru. Gaara walked over to them without saying another word to her.

"Hey! _Gaara_!" Temari tried to call him back. "_Hey_!" Her little brother paid her no mind. She sighed irritably. Stupid brother.

Naruto seemed to energetically greet him. Gaara nodded in response, his lips moving the tiniest bit. Sasuke ignored him. Sakura edged away from her brother, hiding behind the broody boy. Shikamaru was too busy rubbing his shin to pay any attention to Gaara.

The redhead boy turned to look at the lazy boy. His lips moved the tiniest bit. Shikamaru glanced up and stared at her brother. She could discern the word 'what' slip from his mouth. Gaara's lips moved again.

Temari was normally pretty good at reading lips. Gaara, though, was an entirely different story. His lips BARELY moved when he was talking making it really hard to understand what he was saying. Unfortunately, Shikamaru seemed the same. He was saying something back to her brother, but his lips didn't seem to move at all. He looked agitated though.

Now Gaara looked a bit angry.

Then Shikamaru looked angry.

Then Gaara looked angrier.

Then Shikamaru looked annoyed.

Then Gaara turned around and made his way back to her counter. Temari was still watching Shikamaru. His lips were pressed together and annoyance was more than evident in his features. There was also something else – far be it for her to interpret it correctly, but whatever it was, it was most certainly dominating his face.

"What did you do – say?" Temari asked as soon as Gaara was within hearing range.

"Nothing."

"Gaara." Temari complained.

"It's not important."

Temari growled a bit. "Some days, you really get on my nerves, you know."

"Most days, _you_ really get on my nerves." Gaara replied monotonously.

"Well, gung ho, that really hurt me."

Gaara smiled. "'Gung ho'? Are you serious?"

Temari grimaced and rested her head on the counter. "It's this _job_. It's tainting and ruining my intelligence. It's even frying my hair." She straightened and pulled at the tips of her blonde tresses. "Look! Ugh. I'm withering. I need hot Suna air and bright blinding sun to get it back to the way it was. That and lack of stupid people telling me they want to return a stupid article of stupid clothing."

"Temari," Gaara said slowly, "your hair has always looked like crap."

She scowled. "You see! This is why I like Kankurou better than you."

"Just yesterday you told Kankurou that you liked me better than him."

"How is it _my_ fault you're both annoying and horrible excuses for human beings?"

"You've raised us. That must have _something_ to do with you."

She lowered her head back onto the desk. "I don't like you right now."

"That's okay."

"Did you need something?" She mumbled into the counter.

"No."

"Mmkay."

"Do you really get paid for this?" Gaara asked incredulously.

"Shocking, isn't it?" She mumbled. She straightened abruptly as she felt someone pull her hair hard. "OW! WHAT THE—!?" Kankurou stood by Gaara grinning. Temari's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to kill you."

"Can't do that. I'm a customer." Kankurou chided.

Temari glared at the pathetic excuse for eldest brother. She was still older than him by a year, but he was older than Gaara. Not that you could tell from personality alone. Height, he was – hands down – the winner. But maturity? He lost. "I. Hate. You."

"Now that's just a horrible thing to say to your younger brother."

"Everything I say to you is horrible. Just like everything you do to me is horrible."

He grinned. "True enough."

"What do _you_ want?"

"What? I can't visit my own sister at her work?"

"You're up to something." She said calmly, eyeing her brother speculatively.

"What on earth makes you think that?"

"I'm your older sister. I just _know_." It sounded like a stupid reason in theory, but in practice it was actually very…useful. She looked at Kankurou trying to figure out what it was. "A girl." She noted. Kankurou stiffened just the slightest bit. "I probably won't like her…" Temari bit her lower lip. "Mm…I've met her…"

"Ok, you've crossed the line from bizarre to insane, Temari. You don't know what you're talking about."

Gaara meanwhile, was looking at her in mild surprise.

Temari glanced at the redhead. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Very."

"GAARA!"

"What? It's the truth."

Kankurou narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

Temari idly played with a strand of her hair. "She doesn't like you. She doesn't know you like her. Probably not worth liking if _I_ don't like her."

"Alright! That's it! I'm leaving." Kankurou grudgingly began to walk away.

Temari leaned toward the redhead. "Who is it?"

Before Gaara could respond Kankurou stomped back and clamped his fingers around the redhead's wrist pulling him away.

"NO FAIR, KANKUROU!"

"WHATEVER, TEMARI!"

Temari growled and sank back down onto the counter.

Life. Sucked.


	3. Peace Treaty & Heavenly Weaknesses

_Ch.3:__ Peace Treaty and Heavenly Weaknesses_

* * *

This time, she was doodling on a sheet of paper during work. She waved off most of the customers with some rude comments on her part and her now official mantra of 'no receipt, no exchange'; on occasion she did happen to cuss out a few people, but that didn't happen _too_ often.

The paper really had no set design to it, she thought, as she looked at what she was drawing. It was just a rather large complex pattern. Circles. Squares. Stripes. Dots. Crosshatch. Swirls.

"Excuse me,"

"No receipt, no exchange." Temari muttered without looking up or halting her design.

"Oh, I don't want to exchange anything."

Temari looked up.

It was a cream-skinned girl with caramel colored hair pulled up into two buns. It was a pretty old-school hairdo, but on this chick it seemed to work. She had a slightly irate expression and her brown eyes were lidded with annoyance.

"What's the problem?"

"I realize this isn't your job, but…" The girl sighed. "The blonde over there," The girl pointed to the left. A skinny, flaxen haired, pouty-lipped blonde was whispering to a pale indigo-haired girl. "She's pestering my friend. Might cause in trouble if…" The girl paused. "Can you just like…kick her out?"

Temari yawned. "Why don't you and Bluey just skiddat?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "'Bluey' and I have to meet someone here. Neji will plotz if we aren't here and her dad will just about…ugh…I don't even want to think about it."

Temari stared at her for a bit, and then turned her head to Ino. "Oy! BLONDIE!"

Ino turned her head. Her eyebrows knotted together in confusion.

"Get your little plastic butt over here!"

Ino scowled and sashayed over in the most provocative way. Temari was immediately reminded why she didn't like the blonde. She grumbled. To her surprise the brunette did the exact same thing. They shared a quizzical look before Ino interrupted. "What?"

"I'm going to ask you to leave Bluey alone."

She frowned. "_What_?"

Temari looked at the brunette. "What's Bluey's name?"

"Hinata."

"Hinata. I'm going to ask you to leave Hinata alone."

Ino's lips pursed. "Do you call everyone by their hair color name?"

Temari shrugged. "If you don't quit pestering her, I'll have you kicked out."

"You can't kick me out for that!"

"I can make up a reason." Temari replied nonchalantly.

Blondie's lips twisted into a scowl. "_Fine_." With a huff, the blonde turned on her heel and walked in the direction opposite of Hinata.

The brunette smiled. "Thanks. I know that's not your job, so thanks muchly."

Temari waved the girl away. "No biggie. I hate Blondie anyway."

The brunette smiled. "I'm Tenten."

Temari snickered. "Ten _Ten_? That's so dorky."

Tenten scowled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't—" But before Temari could completely apologize, the brunette stalked off with an indignant huff.

"Oh, _fine_." Temari muttered under her breath. "Konoha people are just so touchy."

"I wouldn't say their _touchy_. I think it's mostly that you're so obtrusive and crass, and the people around here aren't quite used to that."

Temari scowled upon recognizing the tone of that voice. She could never mistake that voice. That lethargic, annoying, horribly _sexy_ voice. "Go away, moron."

"See, _that's_ rude. Most Konohans would consider that discourteous and actually think you wanted the person you're speaking to, to leave." He chatted amiably, a smile threatening to arise on his features.

"I DO want you to leave." She scowled.

"No. You don't."

"Yes. I do."

He was leaning against the counter, a smirk on his lips and a glint in his eye.

"I don't like you." She growled at him. Although, that wasn't entirely true. She sort of liked him, sort of didn't…

"Shame, because I really like you."

Much to her chagrin her heart began to beat ridiculously. "Shut up."

"Whatever the lady desires."

Temari scowled. "I really, _really_ dislike you."

Shikamaru grinned, but said nothing.

Temari lowered her head and began doodling again.

The next time she looked up, she noticed he was gone. She let out a heavy sigh of relief. Though, she was more than just a bit disappointed. Ugh. There she went trying to make this jackass a prince charming. He was not! He _especially_ could not be after she'd kicked him in the shins. That kind of thing did not happen in fairy tales.

_Once upon a time there was a mediocre looking princess. Due to the death of her horrible father she was forced to repeat the phrase 'no receipt, no exchange' (because the evil wizard demanded it in return for her and her brothers' survival) for a long time to all annoying people and move to a horribly green and crazy fortress. Prince charming then, one day, came upon his steed to rescue her and for unknown reasons decided she wasn't worth rescuing. The princess then proceeded to beat up the prince. Frustrated and angry the princess murdered the evil wizard and robbed him clean, she then proceeded to run away back to her sunny hometown, where (due to unfortunate circumstances) she did not reign, but did live happily…ish. You know, for a princess without a prince and all, she was as happy as she could be._

Oh, yeah. Marvelous fairy tale it was.

She dropped her head to the counter.

Death would be nice.

Then she could stop imaging a romantic guy to be with her.

Ugh. She needed to get real.

She lifted her head a bit as a slight pressure was felt on her skull.

"Wakey, wakey, Precious."

"Don't call me precious. And I'm _not_ sleeping." She scowled upon realizing something. "Did you flick me on the head with your finger?"

He waved a nice round cookie before her. "Food?"

She closed her eyes in delight as the smell of chocolate hit her. Oh…My…

NO! Must resist evil cookie from evil boy… Must…

"Leave." She spat out at him.

He smirked and took a bite out of the deliciously warm cookie. "_Mmm_…White chocolate."

Temari tried hard not to drool. _Oh_, how she loved white chocolate. He couldn't know that could he?

"Sure you don't want any?" His voice was teasing.

"G-Go…away…"

He waved the cookie in front of her again.

Did he not know how dangerous that was? You don't wave yummy goodness in front of a hungry female, you might return with no hand to speak of.

"You know you want it."

"Shut up."

"It's warm."

"Shut up."

"Chocolaty. Chewy. _Oh-so_ tasty."

She gave him one last glare before giving in and snatching the cookie from his grip. "I _hate_ you, just so you're aware." She took a bite and nearly melted in her seat.

_Oh_, it just tasted _fantastic_. He was a God-send. CookieMan from heaven above. He was irritating, _oh yes_. He was a jerk, _oh yes_. He was rude, _oh yes_. But he brought cookies!! (A quality that redeemed him – at least for the time being – in her eyes)

"I knew you'd like it."

"Shut." Mm…She could die now and be okay with it. "Up."

His lips quirked up. "I love to see you eat cookies."

She paused, and glared furiously at him. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"Why I don't recall."

She was about to snap something snotty back at him, but chose to take a bite of the cookie instead and the insult died in her mouth. Wonderful, her weakness was cookies. If this were a real fairy tale she'd be killed by the evil force in under a second.

"I'm sorry, by the way."

"Mmorry?" She mumbled through a mouthful of cookie.

He smirked. "Yes. Sorry. About…'gossiping' the other day."

She swallowed the yummy morsel and stared him. What was he playing at? "Like that'll make up for it." She grumbled and took another bite. "Jackass." She added in afterthought.

"You swear a lot."

"So? You irritate me a lot."

"It's just;" He explained, "those girls get on my nerves."

Her eyebrow twitched. Aw, man. The cookie was finished. She licked the crumbs off her fingers, too happy with the yummy chocolate to be sufficiently angry. Though she was aggravated, which said a lot about how angry she would've been had he not brought her chocolate goodness. "Who are _those girls_?" She appeared completely disinterested and part of her really was, but a bigger part was curious. When did she become so stereotypical that she could be one of _those girls_? Was cussing that bad? She did swear, but she didn't think she swore so much so that she could be categorized… Or maybe he was talking about something else entirely.

"Sasuke's fan-club. When you grinned at the mention I thought…"

Sasuke's…? _'The hell?_ That whole mess happened because he thought she was one of those dweeby melt-in-your seat girls for a guy she'd never even talked to? Okay, so maybe she was kinda pining for Lazy – but she hadn't and wouldn't act like those twits did with Sasuke before she'd sort of known him. _Even then_, she still wouldn't… If there was anything she wasn't, it was a fangirl. She might obsess, she might create seemingly random fantasies, she might even desire a prince charming, but she did _not_ become a psychotic fangirl. No siree. "See?" She snapped her fingers in her face, quite annoyed. "You _thought_. All this assuming is pissy, you know! You could've just _asked _me. I was grinning because I was remembering kicking out the pink-haired one and Blondie. It was fun."

"You might've lied if I asked outright."

"I do _not_ lie." Temari retorted self-righteously.

"Oh, really?"

"Really." She affirmed. His skepticism was bothering her. Some prince!

"Can I test that theory?" He was smirking and there was a glint in his eye that Temari found she did not like. Oh, no, not in the least.

If she were to listen to her mind, she would tell him to bugger off and respond no, he could _not_ test that theory. Of course, her pride prevented her from even considering that course of action. So like an idiot she opened her mouth and told him to go right ahead.

This was why she could never be a princess. Princesses did not fall to the bait of some psycho pretending to be a prince.

Oh, wait.

Wasn't that the problem with fairy tales? All the princesses had a brain the size of a pea?

Shikamaru leaned forward. "Do you," This was going to end soooo bad, "find me attractive?"

_**Hell**__ yes_. His lazy demeanor must trigger the release of hormones in her body. Weird, how biology works, right? "What kind of stupid question is that?" She was incredibly grateful that she did not blush.

"I'm testing your honesty."

"Oh and how would you prove whether I replied honestly or not?" Temari pressed, avoiding answering the question. Answering it honestly would have such horrible results.

Honesty should die.

It's a wonder dishonesty hadn't battered honesty to death with a dirt encrusted shovel yet.

"Just answer the question, Temari." His dumb dark eyes were smiling.

Dumb.

Dumb.

_Dumb_.

He probably knew the answer anyway. He was doing this to torture her. Sicko. Sadist. "I…" Where were the annoying customers when you needed them? "Think…you are…" _Come out, come out, wherever you are._ She really wouldn't mind if someone came after her with a chainsaw right now. Just as long as she wouldn't have to answer his stupid question. "The most annoying person I've ever met."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Just thought I'd throw that out there before I answered the question." She clarified. "It might paint a clearer picture for you." She explained. "I actually think I may have some mental illness—"

"No doubt about it." Shikamaru grinned.

Temari scowled. "_As I was saying_," she enunciated, "because of this deficiency in my brain or perhaps my biochemical engineering, I actually happen to find you attractive."

"Of course you would."

She never wanted to hit someone more. "I _really_ don't like you."

"Maybe if you went to the carnival with me on Friday you'd find me much more enjoyable company."

Temari blinked. "Are you asking me out on a _date_?" According to Kankurou, the reason no guys ever asked her out was because she was a righteous bitch and a pain in the ass. Normally she thought he was over-exaggerating, but to be honest, she'd been a horrible person and a colossal pain to Shikamaru. This didn't make any sense at all; the jackass _had_ to be playing with her.

"Yes."

"Hell no." Was her immediate response. She didn't do dates. Prince charming always ended up as prince jackass. Better off with prince imaginary. (Even if he hadn't started out as prince charming – _shoot_, he hadn't even _bothered_ to _try_ to be prince charming. Did that mean, since he was already prince jerk, he would turn into prince charming? Isn't that how the laws of physics went. For every reaction there's an opposite reaction or some equally preposterous nonsense like that?)

He raised an eyebrow. "Am I really so bad?"

"You're horrible."

"Good match then, don't you think? We're both horrid."

She peered at him curiously. "Is that _really_ any way to charm a girl – by calling her horrid?"

"Would you rather I spout some corny poetry?"

She snorted. Immediately she regretted doing that; that wasn't a very ladylike action at all.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes amiably at her. Then his hand ventured into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a tiny porcelain fan. Laced black iron, with white underlie and three purple dots – 'stars' they were in Suna.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and a pink blush crossed her cheeks. She collected fans, miniature and normal-sized, particularly ones of Suna origin. This was one was _definitely_ of Suna origin. "What…?"

"You collect them. I thought you'd like this one."

Trembling she took the small hand-sized fan and turned it in her fingers. "H-Ho…How did you…?"

"That little charm you have hanging from your upper right ponytail." He explained lethargically. "It's very expensive and rare. A Hozuan if I'm correct. I had Naruto ask Gaara – Gaara doesn't seem to like me very much, by the way – just to affirm my hypothesis."

"I…It's…_Thank you so much_." She was breathless and thought she probably sounded very stupid. But now her heart was beating ridiculously and her skin was tingling. He wasn't a bad guy. Annoying, but not a bad guy. "It's beautiful; I don't have one anything like this."

He could most certainly be her prince…

"Nothing compared to you."

Temari's mouth dropped open and she felt heat rise to her face. Oh…My…_He was so_…

"_Really_, Shika, are you _flirting_!?" A scandalous voice chimed.

Her feelings of elation disappeared and her heart (which had been thudding madly) dropped to her stomach. Temari pressed her lips together. Woohoo, it was Blondie. Way to ruin a very nice moment.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Ino, would you—"

"And with _her_, really!" She crooned

Temari tapped her fingers against the counter. "What exactly is wrong with me, Blondie?"

"Well, for one, you're a righteous bitch." Blonde said matter-of-factly.

"Why, thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." She scowled.

Temari smiled thinly. "I happen to think it is."

"Ugh, whatever, weirdo." Ino flicked her hair back casually ignoring her. "Isn't she just a tad too troublesome for you, Shika?"

What was with the 'Shika'? For goodness sakes that was the most – most –_ugh_! Temari growled. She did not like her. Not one teeny tiny bit.

Why did Lazy even talk to her? What was she his ex or something?

Shikamaru looked at her in irritation. "Ino." He said warningly.

Blondie ignored him. "I mean, when Chouji told me I thought he was joking." She giggled. "But now, I find it's _true_!" Her pretty pink bubblegum popped and she smirked.

"Oy, Blondie, get lost."

She huffed. "I don't think I will."

Temari tried to stifle the urge to strangle Blondie.

Ino harrumphed. "Besides, Shika, I don't think she appreciates your efforts at all." She flicked her hair back again, and Temari got a face-full of platinum blonde hair. Her hair smelled like lilies and made her feel like gagging. Temari spat out the taste of hair from her mouth. "You know," Ino prattled on, "you should take me to the carnival on Friday. I hear—"

"No fucking way, Blondie." Temari spat out quickly. "He's taking _me_."

Ino smirked.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

Temari then got the succinct feeling that Blondie had meant for her to do that all along.

"Ah, well. Shame." Ino then giggled her stuffy giggle and skittered away, leaving in her wake the overpowering smell of lilies.

"So, now, you're giving me a shot?" Shikamaru snickered a bit.

"Shut up."

"What, is that the only phrase in your vocabulary?"

"I hate you."

"And yet, you're going on a date with me. Funny how that works."

She pursed her lips. "Are you _always_ this arrogant?"

"Most geniuses are."

She scoffed. "_You're_ a genius?"

He yawned lazily.

Temari rolled her eyes and ran her finger across the porcelain fan. Mmm, it was indeed gorgeous. A little bit like him.

She blushed as that thought crossed her mind.

He noticed. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask."

"Fine."

She stared at him for a bit. "Are you _really_ just going to drop it?"

"What? Do you not want me to drop it?"

"I'm just shocked is all." Temari idly played with her hair. "What's your stitch with Blondie?"

"St-Stitch?" He was snickering again.

"That isn't funny!" She protested.

He shook his head in mirth. "I just love the way you talk." Temari pouted. He grinned. "Ino and I are just friends."

Temari sincerely doubted that.

Shikamaru sighed noting her skepticism. "I don't lie either."

"Oh, _really_?" She said in disbelief.

"We've been friends since we were little. Mostly because our dads were best friends and we just ended up spending a lot of time together."

Temari stared at him, still tugging at her hair, measuring his words in her mind. "So, you've no…romantic liaisons with her? Past or present?"

He shrugged. "When I was little, I had a thing for her. Not anymore."

"How little?"

"Six. Seven."

"I bet she looked plastic when she was that age too." She muttered in distaste. She dropped her hand from her hair, as she thought of something. "When did you get over your crush?"

Shikamaru said nothing, his dark eyes drawing to an area somewhere past her. "I don't like lying."

Temari swallowed. "Pardon?"

"I don't like lying, and I don't really want to answer that question."

Temari sighed just the tiniest bit. "No problem. Not my business anyway." That didn't stop her from being curious._ Tut, tut_, Temari, she chided herself. _Curiosity killed the cat remember_.

Bet he died happy too.

He leaned forward. "I guess it's my turn to ask the question."

She wants about to cut in, with a 'not even, I haven't even started' but he beat her to the punch.

"Is your obsession with chocolate only limited to white chocolate?"

She flushed. "I-I…WHAT?"

"When you were eating the cookie, you looked as if you were in pure ecstasy." He was smirking.

Oh, she just adored white chocolate. She might very well rob a bank if they offered her a lifetime supply of white chocolate. Yum. Of course, him knowing that wouldn't be very good. He could use it as leverage! (Kami knows Kankurou did) Temari scowled. "White chocolate only."

He snickered.

His phone started ringing again. This time the ringtone had changed to on of those bump-and-grind hip-hop songs. Funny, she didn't take him for a hip-hop guy. Although, she supposed the earring dangling from his left ear could…

He grimaced and pulled out his phone. "Hello?"

The voice on the other line seemed slurred and almost (thought not quite) as lazy as Shikamaru's. The boy sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in a minute."

A few more words passed between them and he snapped the phone shut. His expression was turned back into that lethargic mask and his movements seemed more sluggish than they had a second ago.

"What's with the song?" She asked quickly, before he had to leave.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Ino's always messing with my phone. I've given up picking the ringtone: she always changes it."

Well, THAT cleared it up. Blondie DID look like the hip-hop type. Maybe also some pop.

Temari? She liked country and alternative.

Maybe she could fix the ringtone on his phone sometime in the future…

"I'll see you. My dad."

_Dad_. That explained the similarity in tone. Jeez, did lethargy run in his family?

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. Pulling away, she blushed a bit. "I'll _try_ not to kill myself with depression in the time that you're gone." Good. At least she could still manage sarcasm. Would be bad if lust killed that function – she liked it so much.

He smirked. "Are you quite sure?"

"Well, my heart will throb like mad every time you're gone, but I'll survive." She ran a hand through her upper left ponytail. "Maybe…" She added jokingly. **(1)**

He smiled. "You _are_ cute."

CUTE? What!? She'd never ever been called cute. She was _so _not the embodiment of cute. She scowled. "I am not _cute_!"

"Cute." He said walking away.

"AM NOT!"

"Cute."

Temari scowled.

She as sooo not cute. She'd prove _him_ wrong! He'd just see on Friday how _not_ cute she could be.

She was damn _sexy_.

* * *

**A/N:** Iknow, Shikamaru is muchly out of character, but I figure he would act different around Temari, when he really wants her you know. Like he'd try for things. So from Temari's POV I suppose it seems very out of character. Tell me what you think.

** (1)** The entire sarcastic bit here was hope240291's suggestion. I was trying hard to find a sarcastic thing for Temari to say but was coming up short, and she gave me this idea.


	4. Tenth Circle of Hell

_Ch.4:__Tenth Circle of Hell_

* * *

He visited her at her workplace quite often that week. Some days she wondered if he actually did anything other than hang out at that store and nap. Not that she would be surprised if he didn't do anything else – there wasn't much to do in the excessively green town. Half the teenage population circled around the area she worked in.

It also seemed that half the teenage population greatly disliked her. The only friends (she wasn't even sure if she could even call them friends) were Shikamaru and Naruto. Shikamaru was…He just _was_; there didn't seem to be a word to describe whatever relationship she had with him. As for Naruto, he talked to everyone, making it hard for to gauge whether they really were friends or he was just being himself.

Funny, that, she had fewer friends than her brothers – either of them.

To be honest it was more than just a little depressing.

It was that bitchy thing. She really had to become more amiable. Or at the very least, learn how to interact with these people. Ugh.

Was it really her fault if she was socially inept?

Regardless, as _normal_ as it would be to have more acquaintances, she didn't particularly mind having only two. Naruto was sweet, loud, and really fun to talk to. Shikamaru was intelligent, caring, and surprisingly thoughtful (you know, for a jackass). So talking to _only_ them didn't bother her quite as much as it probably should.

She was currently berating herself for having agreed to do the stupid carnival thing. She wasn't a social person, and carnivals usually required a lot of social interaction.

Plus, it was like, a date.

A _date_.

Of all the nine circles of hell, Temari was still damn sure that a date was worse then them. Naturally she had no clue what being through into a lake of fire felt like and she imagined any sort of raining fire must be incredibly painful, but nowhere near as dreadful as a date. There was the psychological torture a date brought, and that was before, after, and during the date, because everyone knows a good deal of stressing is required beforehand (usually clothes related), another good bout during (usually conversation related), and some more after (usually cursing your stupidity). Beyond the psychological torture there were the possibilities of physical and verbal torture, spanning from objects, friends, to the date himself. Even Dante Alighieri found it so devastating that he could not bring himself to write the words in his book. **(1)**

She sighed. All this torture simply because she was manipulated by a blond with long blond hair.

How was she even supposed to socialize? Really, now, it's not like she'd been born with some…talky gene. She was introverted, thank you very much. Well…sort of. Considering how much she enjoyed yelling it would seem she were more of the extroverted type.

People who didn't know her, tended to think her malicious and quiet. People who _did_ know her, tended to think her violent and talkative.

Either way, not a combination that worked really well in social events.

She might even scare the little kiddies.

A carnival.

A _carnival _for goodness' sakes!

What did one even _wear_ to that? Temari sat perched on her bed glaring at the closet. She'd been doing so for the past twenty minutes and had yet to think of something reasonable to wear.

She didn't even _have_ much to wear. Since the whole monetary issue with her father, Temari had sold off most of her fancier, nicer, more expensive clothes to help out. Leaving her, thus, with jeans, floofy ankle-length cheap skirts, a pair of worn tennis shoes, commonplace t-shirts, sandals, and a random tank top here and there; nothing that would look nice for a date. And most certainly _nothing_ that would knock the stupid lazy off his feet.

Ugh. Maybe she was cute.

Temari visibly scowled at the thought.

She looked at the clock. Brilliant. Only two hours. Two hours to pull a stunning outfit out of nowhere. Stories always worked so much better. The female protagonists never had the burden of having a pathetic excuse for a closet. Maybe, she mused in dejection, she wasn't the female protagonist. Maybe, she was one of those side characters who later got killed off to better improve the main character's personality and mood.

Oh, yippie.

The doorbell chimed suddenly.

"Gaara, can you get that?

Gaara was going to the carnival of doom too, it's just he and Kankurou (though she figured Kankurou's reasons for going were quite different) was going with a group of people like friend-ish. (Apparently the 'hip' thing here. Why couldn't Shikamaru do the 'hip' thing instead of asking her out on a stupid date?)

She continued glaring at her closet for a bit, before Gaara appeared at her doorway. "It's for you."

Temari blinked. "Me?"

"Yeah. You."

"Who is it?"

"Kankurou's crush."

Temari quickly swung herself off the bed and scampered over to the living room rushing past her youngest brother (who looked incredibly amused at her curiosity). This was going to prove interesting. Humming innocently she ambled into the room.

Another important reason she couldn't be a princess in a fairy tale or the main character in the story: she was clumsy as hell.

Upon entering she somehow tangled her feet in the carpet and plummeted face down. (And because she was amazingly coordinated, in getting up she managed to knock over a vase.) _Fantastic_.

Quiet, muffled, syrupy giggles chimed out.

Temari froze.

_Oh, please no._

She turned slowly to find a thin, platinum-haired, pink-lipped girl giggling.

Oh, just _great_!

It was Blondie.

Ack, even when she _wasn't_ working she was to be tortured. "That isn't funny." Temari snapped. _This_ was why dates should be a circle in hell. Everything before and after was excruciatingly torturous.

Ino straightened, mirth never fading from her eyes. "I disagree."

"What do you want?" She snapped. Kankurou liked _her_? He liked this crazy, annoying-as-hell…_thing_?

"Rude. You're going to have to be nicer to me."

"I'm not going to have to do anything to you." _Except maybe kick you…_

Blondie flicked her hair back, a pretentious smile on her lips. "I just came to see what you were going to wear."

"Clothes. What else?" She replied. "Now, go away."

She smirked. "Well, it's just I wanted to see what pretty little thing you were going to wear to prove to Shikamaru that you weren't _cute_."

Temari had mentioned to Shikamaru a day or two after he'd asked her out that she wasn't cute, and he'd damn well see it, because she would prove it come the carnival. Shikamaru had started a laughing fit and Temari had smacked him upside the head, declaring that laughing at her was rude. He'd rolled his eyes, and said to her that she could never be anything but cute.

Temari's eyes narrowed. "How—?"

"Oh, Shikamaru's best friend is Chouji, and Chouji talks."

Stupid Lazy, telling people that she was _cute_.

"I have to agree with him," Ino said nonchalantly, "your style can be described as nothing but cute. Not that that's a bad thing, really, you look adorable – even those odd little pigtails match the image. Like a little girl trying to look tough."

Temari scowled, "You're just a passive-aggressive** (2) **creature."

"Why, thank you."

Temari rolled her eyes. "And you call _me_ a freak?" Irritated with the girl's very presence in her house (could you remove the smell of lilies from the air?) she pushed Blondie toward the door. "Nice to talk to you, now go away."

"I can help you find _the_ outfit."

Temari paused in her pushing.

Ino smirked. "I knew it. You _do_ need help. You don't have shit do you?"

"I…You…Shut up." Temari regained her desire to have her out of the house and renewed hear attempts at shoving her out of the house.

"Oh, come on, Thing1"** (3)** Ino cooed, "I can help, really."

Temari stopped completely, "_Thing1_? What the hell is _that_?"

Ino nodded. "And Shika is Thing2. He's been Thing2 since we were four; he's been needing a Thing1." She brushed her hair out of her bangs.

"Why is _he_ Thing2?" Temari asked, deciding to humor the psychotic blonde. Wasn't there some rule in maintaining your life that said you were supposed to humor the crazies? "Wouldn't it make more sense if he were Thing1?"

She inclined her head. "I suppose, but I was Thing1 for a while, so Thing2 stuck."

"You dated?" Temari asked, confused at the jealousy she felt.

"Briefly." She shrugged as if it were nothing.

"When?"

She shrugged. "Days? Months? Weeks?" She seemed incredibly disinterested in the subject. "Does it even matter? I was bored, he was there, end of story."

"I…You…_What the hell_?" Temari was having trouble figure out if she was being serious or if she really was insane.

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Oh, really, you must change, you look horrible."

Temari looked down at herself. "Well, they're sweats…"

"And _awful_ ones."

"Blondie," Temari sighed in annoyance. "Go away." Screw safety. If she was insane, and tried to kill her for being discourteous she probably couldn't anyway. She looked the fragile type.

"I'm helping, Temari." Ino chastised.

"No you are not—"

"Do you want to be Thing1 or not?" She harrumphed.

Temari hesitated. "Yes."

"Well we can't have his Thing1 looking cute now can we? So, I must help make it all better."

She sighed. "Are you mentally ill?"

"Nope. Are you?"

"I…No…"

"Good. It's settled then." Blondie wheeled around Temari so she was back inside the living room, "Where's your closet?"

Temari blinked. "_Oh, for_…This is _just_…" She clamped her mouth shut and walked back to her room. Maybe Temari was drunk. That would explain this conversation she was having. It would also explain why she was letting Ino into her room. Really who let a demon into their home, let alone their room? That _could_ be plausible explanation if she ever, you know, had touched alcohol.

Maybe Blondie was the one who was drunk.

Temari stepped into her room wondering if essence of Ino could be permanently etched into the air and the objects she touched. She really didn't like the smell of lilies; if it invaded her room she would be really pissed. Temari sat back on her bed, and watched blankly as Blondie pulled open her closet and with extreme efficiency pulled article of clothing after article of clothing scrutinizing everything with narrowed eyes and a vicious offhand comment. In under five minutes, the entirety of clothes she owned were splayed on the floor.

"You have nothing!" Blondie exclaimed.

"I know."

"But…" She spluttered, "_Everyone_ has something! Even Tenten has something for cripes' sake!"

"Well…Maybe….I am…" Temari flinched, "_Cute_…"

Ino snapped her fingers. "Nonsense." She walked around the floor and picked up a white, slightly frayed, long, cheap skirt and a violet (also cheap) tank top. She didn't own a single expensive thing, Temari thought somberly. "Do you have scissors?"

Temari blinked. "What?"

"Scissors."

"Third drawer on the right."

Ino opened the drawer efficiently and settled on her bed with the skirt and the tank top. "Needle?"

"What are you _doing_?"

"Fixing you an outfit."

"I…"

"So, needle?"

Temari once more wondered if Blondie was insane.

"If there's one thing I know it's clothes. Trust me."

"I have a hard time even digesting that sentence let alone trusting you."

Ino hacked most of her white skirt off with the scissors in one swift motion.

A squeak of lament slipped from Temari's lips.

"Too late. Now get me a needle and some white thread."

Temari sighed but complied. Her skirt was already ruined anyway, might as well let her try it out. (Temari had no skill with a needle. She could cook, she could clean, she BS her way out of and into anything, but sewing? Not a chance.)

Ino actually seemed pretty…good with the needle. In no time, the skirt began to look presentable. And in under fifteen minutes, Ino had finished the 'outfit'. The skirt now was now much shorter and Blondie had somehow (she did something with the washer) given it a light purple tint. Her dark violet tank top was now a dark violet spaghetti strap white ribbon for the straps and more white ribbon laced around the end. Ino had then proceeded to take two of her cheaper and smaller fans from her collection and managed to pin them to the shirt with the thread and a safety pins. The two fans were right at the place the white ribbon straps met the purple of her top in front.

Ino shoved the clothes into her hands. "Put them on."

Temari opened her mouth to protest but closed it promptly. Usually, Temari prided herself upon her glares, and as a person with decidedly chilly glares she was very good at spotting ill intent. Ino's were drowning with a threat if she refused to at least try on her outfit. With another sigh, Temari slipped into the bathroom and put the clothes on.

It was actually very nice-looking (and happened to make her look ravishing) but… Temari entered back into her room and tugged at the hem of the skirt. "Blondi—Ino this is just too showy. I feel…bare."

Ino nodded. "You're right. Too sexy for someone like you"

Temari glared at her. "Someone like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She wanted to throw something at her. "You really _are_ a passive aggressive thing." She grumbled under her breath.

"You're just too…lovely to pull of something like this. Someone like you would be better suited for more conformist clothing."

Temari's lips pursed. "Fuck you." With a huff she dug out some white boots (possibly the only expensive article of clothing she'd kept) and slipped them on.

Ino smirked.

Temari scowled as she realized what Ino's intention had been all along.

Ino inclined her head. "Nice boots by the way."

"They were my mom's." The only reason she'd kept the boots. She only had the boots to remember her mother by and that one lone photograph which her mother didn't look that happy in anyway.

"Hn." Ino straightened, chipper and plastic as ever. "Well, I've got to get ready now."

Temari stared at her. "You _aren't_ ready?"

Ino laughed. "Are you joking? I'm dressed in rags." She motioned to her very nice, very elegant, probably very expensive outfit. Rags? Oh, jeez. What did Ino think of _her_ closet?

Yup. Temari definitely was not the main character in this story. Ino probably was. Or maybe Bluey…

Ino sashayed out of the house, whistling, "Do something about your hair will you?" She chimed before she pulled the door closed behind her.

What was wrong with her hair?

Temari looked self-consciously at the mirror. She pulled the edge of the skirt down a bit. She had to admit, Ino _was_ good at this. She still looked a bit…cute for her liking, but it had a certain flair. It was cute, but the short skirt was given to at least make Shikamaru smile appreciatively.

Kankurou stopped in the doorway to look at her. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Clothes. Duh."

"B-but, your skirt it's…"

"_It's_?"

"Look at your legs!"

She looked down at herself. "What's wrong with them?"

"They're showing; _that's_ what's wrong with them."

Behind him, Gaara snickered. "I didn't know you cared how our sister dressed."

"She never dressed like a slut before."

Temari looked down at herself, fearing the worst. "I do _not_ look like a slut." Kankurou looked appalled, Gaara was impassive. "Gaara, do I look like a slut?" Trust the redhead for an honest opinion; he tended to just be blunt.

"No. But I never realized you were a girl before."

Temari scowled. "You are hateful."

Kankurou probably would've laughed if he wasn't so 'disturbed'. "Temari, put on some damn pants or something."

"I look fine." She protested.

"You _look_—"

"Don't you _dare_ call me a slut again."

He glared at her. "Well you _do_ look like one."

"So? The girl _you_'re smitten with dresses worse!"

"I am not—" He began to protest.

"Don't even try, boy, Gaara spilled."

Kankurou glared at the redhead. Gaara shrugged.

"Out! Out!" Temari said then. "Both of you, out of my room, now!"

Kankurou gave her one last look then turned away in distaste.

Gaara stared blankly at her. "All this is for Nara?"

"Get out, Gaara."

"I'm just asking."

"Yes. Now, get out."

Gaara blinked. "Girls are weird." He then exited her room.

Temari returned to looking at herself in the mirror. She was still slightly disturbed that Ino had called her four ponytails pigtails. Pigtails was just so…So, _so_.

She pulled at her hair, and then removed it from the four binds. With extreme care she brushed out all the knots and stared at her appearance. With her hair down she did look 'slutty' as Kankurou put it. Okay, not really, she just didn't like the way her hair fell around her shoulders all loose-like. It got in her face. When she was younger, she had the tendency of chewing on the ends of her hair when it strayed across her face. She'd only stopped because she'd begun to tie it up, Temari had no doubt she might start chewing on the ends of her hair again, if she left it _down_. Besides, she reasoned, her ponytails gave her character. Who else wore four ponytails on her head like she did?

Screw Ino.

She brushed her hair back up into its traditional do, but instead of the usual rubber bands, she tied them up with the white ribbon Ino had sewed onto her shirt.

It was a little harder to do with ribbon, but nothing too extreme.

Temari gave herself a once over and the mirror and smiled.

She looked just fine.

Not the least bit cute.

(Hopefully)

She headed down to the living room and settled for watching TV while she waited. Gaara sat down beside her.

Surprisingly enough, they were actually watching some news special, _and_ paying attention. Some stint on being careful because there were dangerous people everywhere. It was a bit scary, but Temari doubted the information was useful to her at all – really, she lived in Konoha now, how safe could you get?

"You look nice."

Temari smiled. Gaara wasn't very verbal, so his three word compliment meant a lot to her. "Thanks."

"If he does something inappropriate I'm going to hurt him." Gaara stated calmly.

She snorted. "Don't worry, he does anything I dislike, I'll get to him before you can even say 'cookie'."

"You know," Gaara began slowly. "Very few girls can say that sentence and have their family _know_ that it's true."

"What are you saying?"

"I know you can take care of yourself." He stirred a bit as the sound of the doorbell chimed. "Nonetheless, my previous statement stands."

She rolled her eyes. "Good to know. Anything happens, he's gonna end up getting three beatings." She figured Kankurou would like to kick his ass too. She might as well be fair if she was going to let Gaara do it, right?

"Good source of motivation don't you think?" Kankurou grumbled as he crossed quickly to the door. "I'll take the pleasure of informing him."

Temari wasn't sure if she should hit her brothers or hug them 'till she squeezed all the air out of their bodies. Weirdos. Really.

She could hear Kankurou loudly (and vulgarly) threaten Shikamaru. She cringed a bit at his words. Now, in an ideal story, the savior-prince-whatever would put up with all the trouble to get to the heroine. Except of course this wasn't a story and he _could_ just very well run the other way.

Life was so difficult.

The door slammed shut and Kankurou grumpily stomped into the living room. "Your boyfriend's waiting."

"He's not—" She began to protest, because really all he'd done was ask her on _one_ date and bring her a few cookies – was he really her boyfriend? She didn't think so. Of course, she stopped her protest because she realized just how…annoyed Kankurou seemed. "Why are you so pissy?"

Kankurou glared at her.

"What?" She asked innocently.

Gaara looked over the couch at Kankurou. "Yeah, what?"

"I don't like him."

Funny that, some days neither did she. "It's the genius thing isn't it?"

Kankurou looked at her oddly. "The _what _thing?"

"Apparently, he's a genius. And he's very…" she frowned, "wordy. Annoys quite a lot of people that way."

"Wordy?" Gaara asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't mean high vocabulary, he's…I dunno, weird."

Gaara looked at her. "You're just…ugh, you're not descriptive at all. He's dating _you_ and he's a _genius_?"

Temari resisted the urge to hit him. "I'll have you know I'm incredibly intelligent."

"Among whom?" Kankurou chided. "The idiots?"

"Shut up." Oh, jeez, she _was_ juvenile.

"Stupid genius, if you ask me. A _real_ genius would know to avoid you." Kankurou continued.

Temari glared at both of them and jumped up from the couch planning to leave in a huff, which of course was ruined by her smacking her foot into the coffee table and falling onto the floor.

Kankurou laughed.

Gaara smirked.

"I'll have you know, I hate you both." She muttered bitterly, making her way out the house carefully.

"We hate you too." Kankurou called out.

She pulled open the door furiously, temporarily forgetting why she was leaving, so she stormed out to smack straight into someone's chest. She jumped back, tripping on the front step and falling straight on her ass onto the floor. Her cheeks inflamed furiously. Looking up, she saw him shaking with silent laughter.

Ooh, she just hated men.

She got up with as much dignity as she could muster. "That's not funny."

This was so not the first impression she wanted to make.

He was still shaking a bit with laughter. "I beg to differ."

"Oh, yes, just laugh right ahead at my lack of coordination. It's quite amusing." Her eyes narrowed at him. "How do you know I don't have some disease or disorder and you're just wounding me?"

"You don't." He said to her, smiling.

"What if I do?"

"Pointless question as you don't."

"Humor me."

"Then by not laughing I'd be ostracizing you. I'm just including you in the general population by expressing myself as if you had no illness."

She growled. "Jerk."

"You certainly do call me that a lot." His dark eyes were now looking her up and down. She took the opportunity to look at him. He was wearing a plain green shirt with a black jacket donned over it and black jeans. Pretty plain and pretty average.

That didn't mean her heart wasn't beating furiously.

_Ugh_. Since when was she attracted to run of the mill people-creature-things?

"See, not cute at all." She said to him.

He smirked. "When did Ino come over?"

She scowled. "What?"

"This is her doing."

"What makes you so damn sure?"

"I've known her since we were little; I would know her junk anywhere."

She shoved past him, more than just a little peeved.

"Oh, come on, I didn't say it was ugly."

"I'm going to kick you." She threatened.

He looked a bit aghast. "Please don't. You kick hard."

She turned ready to yell at him, maybe even kick him despite the fact that he said please, but she just ended up staring at him. Ugh! Why did he have to look the way he looked? She blushed a heavy pink and turned back around arms crossed across her chest continuing in a random direction.

"You're funny."

"You're not."

He just smiled at her and placing his hand at the small of her back applied the slightest of pressure directing her in the opposite direction she'd been storming in. "This way."

Goodness gracious, she even got lost in this small town. Boy was she stupid. "You aren't really a genius are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"That's what they say."

"How do they know?"

"They had me take an IQ test."

"What was your score?" She pressed.

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Does it matter?"

"I'd like to know thank you very much."

"It was over two-hundred."

She stumbled over her own feet. Shikamaru righted her before she could plummet to the ground. Over two…_whoa_. "A lot over or a little over?" she squeaked out.

"…A lot."

Damn. He _was_ a genius. "Well, are _you_ socially inept?"

"Say what?"

"Forget it. Ignore me." Then somehow she tripped over a stupid rock and her feet crashed into each other. She was about to fall to the floor again when Shikamaru's hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her up. She could feel his chest shaking with silent laughter behind her. Stupid jackass. "Stop laughing! This isn't funny!"

"You don't normally seem so clumsy. Tell me, is it the shoes or do you just naturally find something to trip over even when it's a flat and stable surface** (4)**?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's the green. It's disorienting."

He smirked. "Is it now?"

"You're a horrible prince charming."

"Oh, I'm a prince now?"

"I'd thought so, but maybe you're the villain."

"That's okay, prince charming is overrated anyway."

He might have a point. There had to be something wrong with the princes in all the fairy tales if they actually _fell_ for the helpless oh-so-damned-graceful act. Princesses were just a bunch of ditzes with perfect hair who always happened to sing like perfect birdies.

Maybe a villain was what she needed.

After all, she didn't really fit the paper for princess, now did she?

* * *

**A/N: **Next chapter the date.

I'm leaving for Tuscon for a three days tomorrow. Yay! I think.

I didn't reply to much reviews last chapter, I was a bit occupied, but thanks sooo much, you guys are the greatest. I particularly want to thank jocular monoceros who's review had me gushing for days. :D Love, love.

* * *

**(1)** Dante Alighieri wrote the book "Divine Comedy" in which he talks about visiting the afterlife: the inferno (nine circles of hell), purgatory, and paradise.

**(2) **"When a person acts in a passive-aggressive manner, they are displaying aggression in a way that is indirect as opposed to direct (like hitting or yelling). There is no direct anger or confrontation involved, but the person is expressing aggression indirectly." From

**(3) **You know, Dr. Seuss's stuff. I always liked that they were called Thing1 and Thing2. It just sounded cool, so I borrowed it. I think it came out in The Cat in the Hat, but I'm not sure.

**(4) **The not being able to walk across a flat stable surface part without tripping is from the Twilight Saga written by Stephenie Meyer. I'm just not sure which book or which chapter. It's talking about Bella's lack of coordination.


	5. Little Deer

_Ch.5:__ Little Deer_

* * *

It turned out, in her quest to prove she wasn't cute, all she did was prove she was a total klutz. She'd already tripped four times (not counting the four times coming out of the house and walking to the carnival) and dropped almost everything she closed her hands around. Through this, she'd ruined lunch (twice) and a very cuddly teddy bear she'd happily won in a ring toss.

Shikamaru had snickered when those incidents happened. (Even though _he_ had to buy her lunch three times and only one of those times the food was actually consumed.) She'd glared at him. (Mostly because she really liked that teddy bear.) It was almost enough to make her regret coming.

Almost.

She might have regretted it, if she hadn't found she actually _liked_ carnivals; they were pretty fun. Odd that Suna had never had one before. Temari plucked another cottony sticky pink fluff from the stick Shikamaru was holding and popped in her mouth. Cotton candy she particularly liked. Spun concentrated sugar that came in different colors, what was _not_ to love?

Shikamaru's fingers pulled at the fluffiness and he slipped a small piece in his mouth.

He'd refused to let her hold the cotton candy, (with a huge smile, of course) on the pretext that she'd probably drop it the second he handed it over. Temari only let him hold it because she was pretty sure he was right. That and she was starting to feel bad that he was wasting so much money.

Just a _little_ bad though.

The yummy sugariness melted in her mouth. It was almost better than cookies. Almost. Chocolate still topped it anyday.

She pointed to an odd looking booth. "What's that?" It had gun looking things (they couldn't really be guns right?), targets, and the nicest looking deer stuffed animal (among other lame prizes) on the wall.

"A shooting game." He looked at her. "I really can't believe you've never been to a carnival."

"So…they let you shoot guns?"

"Water guns." He clarified.

"How do I win?"

"You aim correctly enough and shoot enough water at the bull's-eye, you get a prize."

"How much—"

"You just have to beat the other players."

"How many players does there—"

"At least four."

"How much is the—"

"The animals on the top row are for first place, the animals on the bottom for second."

She thought she should have been bothered that he could guess exactly how she was going to finish her question so that he didn't have to wait for her to finish and could just answer. She thought that should've creeped her out, but it really didn't.

In fact, it was rather nice.

She grinned. "I wanna play. I want that cute little deer."

"Are you kidding?" He looked at her baffled. "You can barely walk; I doubt you have the proper dexterity necessary to win _any_ of the prizes."

"Shut up." She snapped. "Just watch." Storming over she took a seat and gave the guy in charge the money. Shikamaru stood behind her a skeptical expression on his face. Temari rolled the water gun around in her hand, examining the whole thing. She pressed the trigger to test it. A nice jet of clear water spurted out. "I'm ready." She told the guy in charge.

Behind her Shikamaru scoffed.

Hmph! She'd show him. She pointed the gun at the target and started as soon as the guy gave the go ahead.

She didn't even bother glancing at the people next to her, and didn't stop until the water in her gun seemed not to come out anymore. She looked at it. "Hey, what gives?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "That's it."

"Oh." She chirped up. "Who won?"

The guy in charge then announced some peaky boy in the corner had won. Temari scowled. Shikamaru chuckled again. "Not bad. You were third; I really thought you wouldn't even come close."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, real mature, Temari."

She played three more times, her eyes glued to the cute little deer.

Then of course, some dumb little boy had to win first and take her deer.

"Hey!" She said to him. "That's mine!"

"I won it." The boy muttered.

"But it's mine." Temari wasn't normally a complaining type, but that deer was just really, really cute.

The little boy stared at her. (He was about maybe twelve) "I'll give it to you if you kiss me, slut."

Behind her, she could feel Shikamaru stiffen.

Temari blinked. "What kind of pervert are you, kid?"

"Then too bad, bitch."

Temari growled and was two seconds away from pounding the little boy into a slimy little puddle, but of course she didn't get to do that as Shikamaru lightly pushed her back and leant down towards the little boy. Again, Temari wished she could read his lips since Shikamaru's just moved so damn little! His hand was clamped around the boy's collar and his lips were moving oh-so slowly. The boy's sneer turned into a frown and his eyes seemed a little scared. Shikamaru stood up, his dark eyes glaring at the little boy.

"I'm s-sorry, M-miss." He stuttered, eyeing Shikamaru warily and bitterly.

Temari looked back and forth between the two males horribly confused.

"I'll buy the deer from you." Shikamaru told him. "Twenty bucks."

"Thirty."

"Twenty-five."

"Forty."

"Thirty."

"Fifty."

"Oh, fine, boy. Fifty." Shikamaru dug his hand into his pocket and counted out fifty dollars.

Temari stared at him aghast. "Shikamaru, what are you doing? That deer isn't worth ten bucks!"

Shikamaru ignored her and traded the fifty dollars for the pretty deer. The boy scampered off then, but not before giving them a dirty look. Shikamaru handed the pretty little critter to her then.

It was even prettier in her hands. It had soft brown fluffy fur, beady shiny black eyes, tufts of white on the smooth brown coat, and soft dark antlers. She hugged it to her body impulsively.

Shikamaru looked at her with a smile. "You're just so—"

She glared at him. She _knew_ what followed that word. Cute. _Cute_. She was _not_ cute! "Don't you say it." She warned

He leaned forward his lips brushing against her ear. "Say what? _Beautiful_?"

She blushed. "Jackass."

"Oh, jeez, Shikamaru," a new voice exclaimed, completely aghast.

Temari turned to look at the speaker.

Oh…It was that brunette – Tenten.

Her hair was still pinned up into to buns; she was wearing baggy pants, a light colored sleeveless pink top, and was holding a pink icicle in her thin fingers. "_This_ is the twit everyone keeps talking about? Lee described her as _nice_."

Temari blinked. Who was Lee?

"He's always wearing green." Shikamaru muttered softly to her. "Dark hair, big eyes."

Oh! That one. He was weird. Very nice and amiable, but weird nonetheless. Apparently he and Gaara were friends – Temari didn't bother to ask how, Lee had just up and introduced himself to her one day when she was working.

They'd chatted for ten minutes in which Temari decided he was very spunky, spoke very oddly – never conjoining any words –, and very determined.

"You know, it's all subjective **(****1****)**." Temari said absently, not really thinking of what she was saying. "Ino calls me a freak. Naruto weird. Kankurou a bitch. Perceptions differ."

Tenten stared at her oddly before licking her icicle. "How do you know Kankurou?"

"He's my brother."

Tenten dropped her popsicle. "_What_?"

She shrugged. "…He is." Honestly, that was a peculiar reaction. She understood when people were shocked that she and Gaara were related, but honestly, she somewhat resembled Kankurou in appearance.

"He's your _brother_?"

"Is it really that unbelievable?"

Tenten looked at her in severe annoyance. "No, I really should've guessed. You're a bitch and your brother's an asshole."

Temari was torn between glaring at the offending brunette and sighing in exasperation. Kankurou could be an unseemly asshole, but having someone else call him that bothered her. (Even though he probably deserved being called as such.) She settled for hugging the deer to her chest closer and staring at the girl with the buns speculatively.

"Do you know what that _damned moron_ just did?"

Wowza, she was real pissed off, Kankurou must have done something serious or this girl had a temper. (Due to Temari's earlier interactions with the brunette she was leaning more toward the second one, but with weird people who really knew.) "…Not really, no."

"He just – he that – that JERK just treated Hinata like shit to catch Ino's attention. He's playing Ino's stupid little—"

"Bluey?" Temari asked at the same time that Shikamaru sighed in annoyance. Temari looked at her date.

"Ino is…for lack of better word," he explained lazily, "the biggest bitch in this town. She _can_ be really kind, but she usually chooses not to be."

"_Kind_? Kind my foot." Tenten spat. "I hate that blonde."

"What's she doing to Bluey?" Temari asked, feeling concerned for the demure looking female she remembered from the store. Bluey was possibly the nicest and most tolerable customer that the damn shop had on a semi-daily basis.

Tenten scowled. "Would you stop calling her 'Bluey'? It's disconcerting."

"Sorry. What's she doing to Hinata?"

"She finds it _funny_ to pick at her self-esteem and makes to manipulate her into doing the most – just horrid things." Tenten's lips were wrapped into the most disgusted expression. "Ugh."

"Oh." The way Tenten's lips were pursed Temari could only assume the hatred ran much further than it seemingly appeared. This one's anger probably ran way back. "The passive-aggressive thing."

Shikamaru eyed her in appreciation.

Tenten stared at her in shock. "You know what passive-aggressive _means_?"

Temari scowled. "What do I look stupid to you?" She snapped vilely at the brunette. Temari could take most jabs, but being called stupid was not one she favored. No, not at all.

"To be honest, yes, you do." Tenten said bluntly. "Besides, you seem like the dumb blonde type. I assumed Shikamaru was with you because of the way you looked."

"I don't look like anything. I look like a loser, what kind of a reason is _that_?" Temari defended. (She really didn't think she looked like anything other than an outcast who was dipped in the wrong side of the gene pool. She was too tall (taller than most guys), had pretty big feet (there goes the Cinderella plot), her nails were bitten to a quick (real lady-like right), her hair was dry and scratchy (broom-ish was a better description), and her body was a bit wide (not fat, not skinny, just…wide.) She couldn't be a model if her life depended on it.) "And hair color has nothing at all do with personality. Am I to assume you're boring because you're a brunette?"

"_Smart_ and dull would be the common stereotype." Tenten corrected a bit detached.

"You're a annoying, you know that? Making snap judgments just because of my hair color. You need a reality check, tidbit." Temari huffed.

Just then, an idea occurred to her. _I assumed Shikamaru was with you because of the way you looked. _Did he do that often?

Tenten stared at her completely baffled. "_Tidbit_? What the hell?"

"You're short."

"And you're tall." Tenten restored.

"It's nice to know you two are plainly aware of each other's height." Shikamaru drawled.

Tenten's eyes narrowed. "Giant."

"Shrimp."

"Bigfoot."

Temari's lips pursed. "Flatchest"

"Porcupine."

"Chipmunk."

Shikamaru sighed. "Can we stop?"

Both girls turned to glare at him.

He lifted his hands in surrender. "_Sorry_. Just a suggestion."

They turned to start insulting each other again, but Temari found she was out of arsenal. Even chipmunk had been a stretch. The girl _did_ have chubby cheeks, but nothing too big of a deal to be honest. The brunette probably had tons to pick at her with. Temari was far from perfect.

Ugh.

Tenten opened her mouth to say something but closed it. She sighed in annoyance. "This is stupid. Let's just start over okay?"

"Why—?" Temari was about to snap 'would I bother doing that with you', but Shikamaru nudged her (more like kicked her) with his foot. He gave her a meaningful glance. _Oh fine. I'll be nice_. "Fine."

Tenten chuckled. "Tenten."

"Temari." She paused, "I hope you realize I'm not a nice person by nature. I say stupid things and laugh at stupider things – you better not go off and act all pissy just because I call you freak or something like that."

Tenten blinked. "I'll try to remember that."

"Your hair's strange by the way."

"So's yours." Tenten replied dumbly.

"Mmkay."

Tenten shook her head as if to clear out the insanity of their previous conversation. She looked at Shikamaru meaningfully, "You're a bit nuts." She turned to Temari, "And I mean that in the most platonic way possible."

She shrugged. "I think he's nuts too. Though my reasons differ from yours."

"Have you seen Neji?" She asked Lazy.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"Alrighty, then." She gave Temari one last speculative look. "See you later."

"I like her better than Ino." Temari informed Shikamaru as she walked off.

"You're an odd one."

"In the good way?"

"The very best way."

Temari tugged her skirt lower. The damned thing kept rising up. That was it; she'd never wear an Ino production ever again. "How do you know her?"

"I know mostly everybody, Temari; this is small town."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Humor me."

"She's Neji's girlfriend and Neji and I have quite a few classes together. He's supposed to be a genius too."

"Do _I_ know Neji?"

"Probably not. He's really quiet, tall, he's Hinata–or should I say _Bluey_–'s older cousin."

"Mmm…" Temari listened as her boots crunched the dried up yellow leaves on the grass. "What did she mean by dating me because of how I looked?" She blushed as she asked that last question, feeling stupid and insecure for asking it.

"She knows I used to like Ino. That's what she's basing her assessment on."

"So you don't like her anymore?"

"No." His answer was clipped, calm, and deciding.

"How long were you dating?" She tried asking again, pressing further.

He shrugged and said nothing.

She sighed. "Is this the part of the story you don't want to tell me?"

"Maybe, sometime in the future."

"Hn." Because really, what could she say to that? Tell me now? What if knowing the story changes how I feel? What if the story's important to – just _to_? "Twenty questions works better when all questions get answered."

Shikamaru smirked. "I wasn't even aware we were playing."

"We are now."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "So what question are you on?"

"As you hadn't noticed we were playing, I'm going to say I'm on question number one."

"Now, I'm sure you've asked at least one question." He teased.

"Can you prove that, oh brilliant genius?"

"You just asked me a question."

"That doesn't count!"

"I think it does."

"Cheater." She pouted.

"Question two."

She stuck out her tongue at him.

Real mature Temari, she reminded herself.

He laughed.

"Fine." She pouted again. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"What's your favorite thing to do?"

"I like watching clouds."

She blinked. "Are you serious–? That doesn't count, by the way!"

"I am."

"_WHY_?"

"Does that count?"

"Shut up and answer the question."

He shrugged. "It's relaxing."

Relaxing? Oh, _jeez_, he definitely wasn't a prince. "What dessert is your favorite?"

"Lollipops."

She grinned. That was the cutest thing. "What season do you like?"

"Winter."

Oh. She paused. Temari didn't much anything about a real winter. In Suna they were lucky to get a centimeter's worth of snow. Winters over there just consisted of slightly cooler days, colder nights, and on rare days a chilly wind.

"Why?"

"The snow mostly. It's annoying because it's very cold and wet, but it's also very…nice. Most people won't go out in the snow so there's less people to deal with and everything just looks prettier when there's white frost dusted everywhere. Plus, it makes things better for hot chocolate and the seasons are just nice." He paused. "You've never had a real winter have you?"

"No. No." She repeated softly. "Is it really nice here in Konoha? Like is it like that winter that happens in the movies?"

He smiled. "Better."

"Mmm…"

He pulled at her blonde tufts in amazement. Temari ignored it, though she liked the fact that he was interested in her hair.

"What do you think of my hair?"

"Unique. Spazzy." He smirked. "_Cute_." He let his hand fall back to his side.

"That's not the right answer." She scowled. "What's with the earring?" She lifted her fingers to toy with the small silver hoop. "Is it like real silver or that fake dollar stuff?"

"It's not really cheap, but not really expensive either." He was blushing just the tiniest bit. Temari had the impression that it had to do with the fact that her fingers were teasing at the little hoop. She absently wondered what he'd do if she took the little silver metal in between her teeth, her tongue lightly brushing against his earlobe as she did. She immediately dismissed the thought, embarrassed it had occurred to her at all. "My dad thought it would be…amusing to get me drunk when I was eight. He gave me vodka – coercing me to drink it as a consequence every time I lost him at chess. I may be a genius, but I still can't beat my dad at chess. So anyway, I got drunk and in another twisted perversion of my dad's," she dropped her fingers from the hoop in his ear, incredibly intrigued by the story, "I was somehow goaded into getting a fucking piercing." He winced as if recalling the experience. "My mother gave me hell for it later. Chased my dad around the house with a frying pan and yelled at me for two whole hours."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense." Temari said. "If you didn't like the piercing you could just never stick an earring in and it would eventually push out and revert to normal. And with hair like yours, all you'd have to do is wear it down for a while and your mom would never be the wiser."

"Chouji – my best friend – felt bad for me, and annoyed too I think, because I was complaining about it the whole day, so he pierced his ear too. Then Ino went and got hers pierced because she felt left out." He shrugged. "It didn't seem…decent to just erase a memory like that."

She grinned, her fingers toyed at his hoop once more, "That's adorable."

He blushed. "Well, next question."

"Your turn."

"You only asked ten."

She was actually more than a little surprised that he was keeping count – and that his count matched hers. (She had been cheating as she counted, dismissing certain questions…) "Let's go half and half."

He chuckled a bit. "You'll regret it."

"I always regret everything." She shrugged. "I might as well make the choice that ruins me."

He walked lethargically not saying a word until he came across a small stone wall. He sat upon it lazily his dark eyes drawing up to some unknown figure. Temari took a seat beside him tucking her legs underneath her. The she scowled and sat straight upon realizing she couldn't quite sit like that unless she wanted to give all the passerby a good look up her skirt. Her feet now dragged upon the grass, her foot tracing imaginary patterns in it as the boy beside her just looked at some point in space she couldn't quite imagine. Their proximity sent jolts through her skin and that fact made her more than just a little uneasy. It was a nice feeling, but Temari didn't much trust 'nice' feelings when it came to members of the opposite sex – it never tended to work out like she imagined (this was including romantic and platonic relationships).

"Are you gonna ask me something anytime soon?"

"You're very impatient." He noted calmly.

"Yes. I am." She snapped, peeved by his carefree attitude. How could he do that?

"What's your favorite color?"

"You spent all this time thinking up _that_ question?"

He looked at her, but not in irritation or even amusement. She didn't know quite what it was.

"Violet."

"Are you a natural blonde?"

She snorted. "Of course I am."

"Is there any particular story behind your affinity for sugar?"

"Not really. I just like it."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Weasels."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Do you prefer to read or watch TV?"

It was an odd question, she thought. "Read. I know surprising considering how ineloquent I am, but I really like to read."

Their was a glitter in his eyes as if her response had deeply amused him. "I wouldn't call you ineloquent." The dark haired boy seemed to mean it, but she found she really didn't believe it. As far as she was concerned, she was very ineloquent. "Why'd you move here?"

She shrugged. "Problems in Suna. Mostly monetary, but lots of stuff revolving around Gaara."

"Doesn't your father supply any money?"

"That bastard? _Hell no_. He's dead. Government ceased his money. Even when he was alive he didn't do a single thing for us. Glad he's dead."

"What's your brother's story?"

"Which one?" She asked this question with slight trepidation, a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew where this was going.

"Gaara."

She hesitated and traced a circle in the grass blades. The tiny deer in her lap looked up at her somberly.

"You don't have to answer that if it's…you know, a sensitive topic for you."

She bit her lip. "I…I don't want to, for a few reasons. One, being it's not my story to tell. Two, telling might…ruin some things. And three, I don't know if I trust you enough to talk about things like that yet."

He nodded. "Fair enough." He inclined his head. "Simple questions then." There was a slight pause and his brow furrowed. "Why are you so adamant against be called 'cute'?"

"That's supposed to be simple?" She rolled her eyes at him to cover up her embarrassment. As was her custom when the conversation turned to her, she tugged at her hair. "_Cute_ girls are those bony little twits who fall for the first guy they meet and end up giving everything away for a bunch of stupid empty promises."

His eyes stared blankly at her, and that was the only sign she had for his next action. His lips then quirked up, he bent forward the slightest bit, and the _most_ raucous laughter split from his lips.

She stared at him for a while; completely unbelieving the lazy lanky boy could really laugh like that. It's not like she'd said anything funny anyway. "What is so _funny_?"

His body shook and his eyes were creased in amusement.

She never wanted to hit him more.

"You're just _adorable_."

"Forget you, Nara." She pushed herself off the wall and made to stalk off, but his fingers clamped around her wrist pulling her back. Her skin tingled at the contact.

He grinned up at her. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"No." She brought her boot down on his foot. "Not okay."

He winced and his grip on her wrist dropped, his hand instead heading to his foot.

Of course, him letting go of her wasn't a very good option for Temari. The minute his hand left her wrist she sort of slid forward from the lack of pulling force and dropped straight onto the grass.

Which is how she found out the grass was wet.

And muddy.

Damn Konoha. In Suna the worst that could happen was she got dust on her clothes. Here she not only got wet, but she got stained with _mud_. You couldn't _dust_ that off, you could _barely_ wash that off (you know, while you were still wearing it.)

"Damn, woman!" He hissed out in pain.

"You laughed at me." She retorted as if it explained everything.

"And you kicked me. HARD. I'd say you overreacted."

She struggled up out of the muddy mess. "Well I hope you now realize I have a tendency to do that."

"I'll keep that in mind." He stood up, rubbing his foot as he did. "Have I pissed you off big-time yet?"

"What?"

"I know I've irritated and annoyed you, but have I really angered you?"

She scoffed. "Not even."

She expected him then, to turn around giving her some excuse about her being too much trouble and walk off to his buddies. Instead he just inclined his head at her. "Remind me not to do anything to really infuriate you then." He grumbled. With a lazy movement his fingers closed around the soft brown toy deer. He pushed the little thing in her own hand, her heart beating furiously as his fingers touched hers. "You're way too much trouble you know that?"

"Then fuck off."

He smiled at her. "And you're horribly vulgar." His fingers brushed the golden bangs out of her eyes. "And clumsy too. But I can't help liking you."

"Shut up." She scowled to cover up the fact that she liked the attention he gave her.

She turned her head away from him, wanting desperately for him not to see her blush. That might just affirm his hypothesis that she was cute. Ugh. That was the last thing she needed.

Standing there with him, she could think of the first thing she _wanted_.

* * *

**A/N:** The part with the little kid made me squeamish. I don't know why…Oddities.

**(1) ** Subjective perceptions are more like that the perceptions differ from person to person. Like everyone sees everything differently


	6. Psychotic Brothers

_Ch.6:__Psychotic Brothers_

* * *

"How'd your date with the fucker go?" Where Kankurou's first words as Temari slipped inside the house. The brown-haired boy was lounging on the squishy couch his eyes focused on the grotesque horror flick on the TV.

Gaara was sitting on the floor leaning against the couch, but rather than watching the morbid scene, his green eyes were scanning the flimsy pages of some book. "Just because the lazy chain-smoker has a brain doesn't mean you should call him a loser to make yourself feel better."

Temari removed her shoes and sat on the floor beside the redhead. "Chain smoker?"

He shrugged. "I use the term a bit loosely. I don't think he smokes a _lot_. Just some."

Funny, she'd never seen him light a cigarette. She frowned. "You _do_ mean cigs, right? Not…like…pot or anything right?"

Kankurou snorted.

Gaara lowered his book to his lap, his fingers holding his place. "Cigs." He clarified calmly. "You _really_ think I would've let you out with a druggie?"

"_Excuse me_! '_Let me _go out'?" She exclaimed indignantly. "You have _no_ say in letting me do or say things, idiot. I'm older!"

Kankurou nudged her firmly with his foot. "So what if you're older?"

"We _still_ get the last word." Gaara continued.

"And first." Kankurou added.

She scowled. "If I _wanted_ to date a murderous druggie then I think I have the right." She huffed out at them indignantly.

Gaara opened his book. "Oh, you more than have the _right_." His eyes scanned the page to find his place. "Just like _we_ have the _right_ to lock you up or beat up any guy that treats you badly if the case fits."

She smacked the back of his head in annoyance. Honestly; _brothers_.

Standing up indignantly she made her way to the kitchen. She was thirsty.

"Oy! You never told me how it went with the fucker." Kankurou protested indignantly.

"And I don't intend to." She chimed as she turned the corner from the living room into the kitchen. She found it oddly refreshing and exhilarating to be able to get from the living room to the kitchen without falling or knocking into something. Her mother's boots were nice things, but deadly contraptions.

Who invented heels anyway? What psychopath thought it would be a good idea to have women walk around on pointy skinny sticks?

Really, she wasn't all that well coordinated when her feet were flat on the ground, mix in heels and it spelled certain doom for her.

She grinned and pulled out a box of chocolate chip cookies. She deserved a treat for having walked around on such dangerous things…

Reaching up to pull the box from the top cupboard she managed to drop a bottle of syrup on her head, but other than that there were no lasting damages. She settled happily by the kitchen table and tore open the cookie box. Yum, yum.

Too bad they weren't fresh. Fresh, warm cookies were always so good. She nibbled the edge of the cold chocolate chip cookie. "Oy!" she exclaimed loudly so that Kankurou could hear her as she recalled something, "Tidbit said you were an asshole to Bluey!"

Gaara ambled into the room and pulled the box from her hands without a word. Not even bothering to ask he now held the box in his hands and pulled out a nice round cookie. "Are you talking to me?"

"Kankurou." She clarified.

"What?" Kankurou called, as if changing his mind, he too made his way into the kitchen, though he was grumbling the entire time

"Tidbit said you were—"

Gaara chewed on the cookie thoughtfully, "Translation, Tem, we don't quite speak your language all the time."

Temari rolled her eyes. "…Ten…Tenten! Yeah, Tenten informed me that you were a jerk to…to…" Temari paused. _What_ was the girl's name again? "Oh, whatever. You know who I'm talking about." She snapped.

Kankurou inclined his head in mock ignorance. "No, I don't."

Gaara licked the crumbs of his fingers. "Hinata."

Temari straightened. "Yeah! That one!" Temari blinked looking at her youngest brother. "How do you know that?"

Kankurou looked at Gaara in confusion as well.

Gaara shrugged. "She was crying."

Temari faltered. "…_And_?"

Gaara pulled out another cookie. "And we talked."

"And?" This time Kankurou pressed in the same disbelief Temari was currently in.

"…We…talked…"

"When you," Kankurou pressed, "say talked, do you mean you stood or sat there and watched as she cried on someone's shoulder or do you mean you where alone with her and let her cry on your shoulder or…"

"I mean," Gaara chewed his cookie slowly, eyeing both of them like they were idiots, "that she was crying and I felt bad so I left Naruto (who was flirting with Sakura) and went to go talk to her…She was really quiet." He added. "But I think she's nice…She likes Naruto, you know."

Temari blinked. "You… You've changed."

Gaara rolled his eyes at her. "You idiots are weird."

Gaara had been…through a phase in his childhood, they'd managed to get him some help and he'd gotten better, but this – this was something new. This was _big_. "Well excuse me for—"

"Your idiocy is excused, Temari." Gaara interrupted. "I am after all accustomed to it."

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "I _had_ to have brothers; you two couldn't have been born female, could you?" She snatched the last cookie out to the box before Gaara's fingers could close around it. He scowled at her. She smirked. Temari took a bite. "Oh!" She swallowed it down quickly, "I was chastising you!"

Gaara blinked. "Why?"

"No, not you!" she kicked Kankurou's shin under the table. "You!"

He grimaced and rubbed his shin. "What did I do?"

"What you making a poor wallflower cry for? She's _nice_."

"I didn't—"

"Tidbit said you treated her like shit."

"I—"

"Don't deny it!"

He growled. "Dammit, Tem, I can't deny anything if you don't let me talk!"

Temari crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, loser; talk. Explain to me what possible explanation there could be for you treating that poor nice girl so horribly that you made her cry."

"I…I…" Kankurou stumbled. "That's not…" He bit his lip…"See…"

Gaara was now looking at his brother in curiosity. "So you have no reason?"

"I…"

Temari pressed her lips together. "All to please a skinny blonde, right, brother dear?"

Gaara blinked. "That's why?" His tone was a bit angry. "For _Ino_?"

Kankurou fidgeted. "Anyone would do that same."

"Oh, don't even!" Temari spat. "That girl is – is…if you have to insult another being to impress another, then you know that girl isn't worth the time of day!"

"Do you know how bad she felt?" Gaara's voice was quiet and chilling.

"I'm sorry, okay!"

"You should apologize to _her_!" Temari snapped.

"Not everything is about a girl's body, brother." Gaara said before pushing away from the table. "Take a look at who she is." The redhead promptly departed the room.

Temari glared at Kankurou.

He sighed. "I'll apologize, okay?"

"How is it, that our younger _psychotic_ brother has more sense than you!? Ugh. Get a clue, boy." Temari huffed, and pushed away from the table as well. Somehow, though, she got her legs tangled in the legs of the chair she was sitting on she fell face first on the floor.

Ugh.

Chastising worked so much better when you didn't embarrass yourself by being a total klutz.

Kankurou snickered at her.

Idiot boys.

The next morning, Temari already had one foot out the door when she remembered she didn't have to go to work that day. It was her day off. She scowled at her feet and trudged back into the house. Well there went a morning she could have used sleeping.

She shimmied out of her uniform quickly, donning instead some grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

Who said she didn't have style?

Kankurou was, as usual, sleeping – lazy bum. Gaara…actually she had no idea where he was. He was always up early in the morning, but she never knew where he meandered off too.

She pulled a granola bar out of a cupboard and slipped out of the house. The day was nice after all, staying inside didn't seem fair to the yucky greenness. She had to get accustomed to it sooner or later right?

It took her a total of five minutes walking through the town to realize that there wasn't really anywhere to go other than that stupid little store she worked at.

Fan-tastic.

Maybe she should watch clouds….Lazy liked it…

"Yo, Porcupine."

Temari wheeled around, "Tidbit."

She wrinkled her nose. "Are you seriously still calling me that?"

"Are you seriously calling me porcupine?"

"Damn straight."

"Then, damn straight."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Okay, porcupine; shouldn't you be working?"

"Day off."

"Hm." The brunette inclined her head. "I have a question for you."

Temari shrugged. "Shoot."

"Come on."

"Come on?"

The girl smiled. "Yeah, you don't expect me to converse with you happily in the middle of the street now do you?"

Temari snorted. "Like cars would pass anyway."

"Regardless."

Temari followed the short girl to a grassy clearing by a pond. She looked around appreciatively. Suna had a nice golden burning beauty, but Konoha had a soft sheltered niceness that you just couldn't deny. "Nice."

"They're Shikamaru's lands." Tenten paused, "Well technically, they're his family's. Everyone around here knows he won't really keep the farm as his job; he's too smart for that. More likely it will go to his cousin. Even if they do, though, they're still his lands, you know, so he'd get profit from it, even though he wouldn't farm it."

"Um…You've lost me." Lands? Were his family farmers?

Tenten plopped onto the floor. "You don't know?"

"Not…really…"

"Well, his family has a deer farm kind of thing."

"Like…the animals you raise for meat killing?" Temari asked nervously.

Tenten burst into laughter. "Oh, not even! Yoshino would kill the person who suggested such a thing." She brushed the brown hair out of her eyes. "They mostly use the deer for medicinal purposes. They got some cows and chickens too, I think, you know for milk, eggs, and cheese, but mostly they have a medicine thing going on."

"Hn." That was pretty…interesting. "Does that mean he's rich?"

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Does that really matter to you?"

"Just curious."

"Filthy rich." She giggled as she said it. "Only family richer is the Hyuuga."

"…Hyuu—?"

"You know, Neji, Hinata…"

"Oh." Well, he was certifiably a prince now. Filthy stinking rich. That was how the rules went. _You weren't' charming, clairvoyant, daring, dashing, or kind? That's okay, so long as you're rich, you can be a prince!_

"It's why I think Ino tried to get her claws in him awhile ago."

It's a good thing she wasn't walking or she would've found something to trip over. "Little thing say what?"

She made a silencing motion across her lips. "His story to tell."

Temari's eyes narrowed. "You brought it up!"

"I know, I'm such a tease, right?" She grinned. The girl stretched out on the grassy field. "So, per my question."

Temari leaned back on her hands so she stared up at the clouds. "What's the deal?"

"Your brother, Gaara, is he playing with Hinata?"

"You're gonna have to clarify."

"Well, okay, he told you that he was comforting Hinata yesterday, right?"

"Not in so many words, but yeah."

Tenten continued, "And well, this morning I found them chatting by Hinata's house, and I could've sworn that…well, he was flirting with her and I think Hinata was flirting back and…I just don't want her to be hurt. She's really kind of fragile when it comes to romance."

Temari's lips quirked up. "Flirting?" Really? He was flirting!?

"Mm-hmm."

Temari giggled. "How cute."

Tenten gave a sidelong glance at her. "Weirdo."

"I doubt Gaara would be the kind to play a girl. If it's the money shtick you've got your panties all wound up for, then you should know Gaara doesn't see much value to money; plus he's never had a girl in his whole life. He wouldn't bother even thinking about using a girl. Scorns Kankurou for doing as such."

"So he's not…?"

Temari stretched her legs before her. "I doubt it, but I'll ask anyway."

"You're not lying to me are you?" Tenten asked seriously.

A cool shadow fell upon her brow. "Temari, lie? What blasphemy."

Unwillingly a full blown smile made her way across her lips. "It's a good thing you're starting to learn, Lazy."

Shikamaru dropped down beside her. "You're trespassing."

Temari closed her eyes trying to hide some of her glee. "Tidbit's fault. She dragged me here."

"Oh, my fault?" Tenten huffed, "Aren't you convenient?"

"I try my best, darling." Temari frowned and opened her eyes looking at the brunette, "Oy, is Neji your boyfriend?"

Tenten wrinkled her nose. "Yes. No. Sort of." She sighed. "It's complicated."

Temari jolted a bit as she felt Shikamaru's fingers brush hers.

Tenten giggled.

Shikamaru smirked.

Stupid no-good prince.

The brunette gracefully jumped up. "Well, I'll be off." She grinned. "Leave you two lovebirds be." Jubilantly and very elegantly she skipped off.

Temari groaned. "What is it with you people?"

"Us people?" His fingers intertwined with hers at this comment.

She, much to her chagrin jolted again. "You're also damn graceful. Tenten's got this bouncy sort of grace. Ino's got this very swaying grace. Hinata's got a meek grace. You have a lazy grace – I didn't even know that was possible. Naruto has a clumsy grace – now that SHOULD be impossible. You're all just so…"

"So?"

"Opposite of me."

"Are you referring to the fact that you can't walk across a flat stable surface without finding something to trip over?"

She glared. "Obviously."

He shifted positions so now he was hovering above her, his hands holding him up resting on either side of her head. With one hand he brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "That's okay; your clumsiness is just so attracting."

"Shut up." She glared at him. Though, she had to admit the effect was rather ruined by the jarring red blush dusted upon her cheeks. "Ooh, how I hate men."

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"You'd damn well better."

* * *

**A/N:** I'll be rather occupied for the next two weeks. My IB tests are coming up, and for what is probably the first time in my life, I have to really actually study for a test. Such a thing is unheard of for me. Alas, so I'll be pretty inactive for the next two weeks, mostly occupied by studying, cramming, all-nighters, and some occasional freak-outs. I just thought I should give you guys a treat before I went on a pause.

If I have time, I'll keep writing, but I'm not making any promises.


	7. On Perserverance and Murder

_Ch.7:__On Perseverance and Murder_

* * *

Work was, as usual, incredibly irksome. People whined, she snapped, they whined some more, she rolled her eyes, they got mad, she muttered something sarcastic, they stormed off angrily, and then the cycle started all over again with a different person.

Ugh.

Well, at least she'd be off in five – no, wait – _nine_ minutes. Ugh. Life sucked. She raised her hand to her hair and tugged at her ponytail. Almost done. Almost done. Almost fucking done.

"_NO_! DON'T YOU GET IT!?" Temari shifted her attention immediately to the source of noise. Naruto was currently being yelled at by the loud temperamental pink haired creature. "I. DON'T. LIKE. YOU. I DON'T A CRUSH ON YOU, NARUTO, I CAN BARELY TOLERATE YOU AS IT IS!"

Temari winced almost feeling the pink haired girl's screeches burning her ears. Poor Naruto.

Really, the boy had been nothing but undyingly sweet to Sakura. He was a prince charming if she ever laid eyes on one (not Temari's, because apparently hers was lazy and thought romantic things were troublesome). He needed a nice girl. Temari would suggest Hinata, if she didn't think her brother had a thing for the pale lovely.

Really, she didn't know what she and Gaara were doing, but whatever was between them wasn't a platonic feeling, that was for sure.

There was some more yelling and then the pink one stomped out of the store, Ino in tow.

Temari really didn't mind the pink haired girl. Sakura could be really friendly and nice. She didn't take any crap and knew how to put people in their place. She was a tough bitch, and Temari respected all of those. The problem with Sakura, Temari mused, was the pink haired girl was too focused on appearances and didn't bother to see what was right there for her. Though, given Naruto's unwavering determination, she doubted the blonde boy would ever give up, meaning that Sakura would see the light sooner or later.

Naruto slumped over to her counter.

"That was painful." She said as soon as he was by the counter.

He mustered up enough energy to glare at her.

"What?" She defended. "I was being honest." That was probably the reason she didn't have a lot of friends. She figured only someone as lazy as Shikamaru or as boisterous as Naruto could really put up with her personality. She was completely socially awkward. Especially around females. Girls seemed to have an odd language with codes and signs she would never figure out.

Sakura had once asked her if her hair had been ruined by the wind. The pink haired girl had gone to great lengths to curl her hair up prettily so Sasuke would notice; unfortunately the wind ruined her entire hairdo. "Tell me truthfully." Sakura had said. So Temari did. She told her hair looked like crap. At her statement every girl there turned to look at her with a frosty glare in their eyes. It would appear that "Tell me truthfully" is a carefully coded message which means "Lie at all costs."**(1)** Of course that didn't seem to be the case all the time, she tested it out once and was given a cold shoulder by the girls for a week. She'd been asked once if an outfit was too reserved. It was, incredibly so, so she lied and said the opposite, apparently that was bad thing to do as well.

Why couldn't be just say what they wanted to hear when they asked a weird question?

Naruto glowered. "You being honest is going to get you into trouble."

"Everything about my personality screams trouble." She snorted. "It's like I've just got a neon 'trouble find me' sign on my chest."

Naruto stared at her. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"You know, I'm not really sure."

He rolled his eyes. Naruto leaned against her counter and buried his head in her hands. He straightened abruptly, his blue eyes staring at her in discovery. "Hey, you're a girl."

"Is it _that_ obvious?" She said dryly.

"What do I do to impress her?"

Temari blinked. "You're barking up the wrong tree, boy-o." She rolled her shoulders about. "I may be a girl, but I don't understand normal females. For that matter, I may as well be a man."

Naruto groaned. "Brilliant." He muttered dryly. "Nothing I do makes a difference to her you know."

She shrugged. "It might one day."

"Hey, kid, we're closing!" Her manager shouted to Naruto.

He stretched up, "Well, I should be going home then."

Temari smiled. "Good luck with her."

He grinned. "I won't give up."

"I know."

The blonde boy streamed out in a flash. She shook her head in amusement. There were very few like that one. Sakura better damn well see that before her real live prince charming left.

"Temari?"

She blinked, drawing herself out of her revere. "Ay?"

"Your shift's over, I'm gonna lock up now." Her boss said to her. "You should get going."

Temari stretched. "_About time_." Slinging her bag across her chest, Temari happily made her way out of the store (successfully managing not to trip once).

The streets were dark, the only source of light came from the full and shining moon. It was a pretty night, shame it was starless. The squish of wet grass under her feet invaded her senses. She missed the crunch of gravel underneath her feet; the squishy sound of wet grass just wasn't the same. She hummed under her breath not paying any attention to her surroundings; instead she was focused on watching her feet. It was interesting to see the green blades dash up her sneakers.

A low whistle pulled her out of her revere and also sent her falling onto the floor on her face. Temari groaned, grass really shouldn't hurt that much. She pushed herself up amidst annoyed grumbles on her part. As she staggered up, firm fingers clenched around her upper shoulder and pulled her around. Temari's eyes widened in apprehension and she pulled back on instinct, but the man's hands were holding on to her too tightly.

"Where do you think you're going, butterfly?" The man before her grinned wolfishly.

Temari tried pulling away again, only to find his grip had tightened. The man's other hand seemed to find its way to her hip.

She didn't have time to think, she simply acted on pure instinct. She kicked furiously at him and screamed loudly, "LET GO OF ME! IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO I WILL PERSONALLY REARRANGE YOUR FACE UNTIL—"

The man pushed her roughly against the wall and covered her mouth. "Shut the fuck up."

Oh, shit. She was going to – to…damn! She had just watched a stupid documentary with Gaara on this nonsense and she didn't bother to learn a single thing from it. He had her pinned, and this was bad, and _oh…this was so bad_. A horrible fear settled in the pit of her stomach. She had never thought something like this would ever happen to her.

She continued to squirm and tried hard to punch him, but he had her very well restrained.

Men weren't supposed to be this strong!

Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest and she was scared beyond compare. Temari squeezed her eyes shut and kept trying to find a way out.

Bad.

Bad.

So very bad.

She felt her clothes being torn and painful pressures on her skin. She was sure she'd just been cut. Soon she felt cool metal against her forehead. "Stop moving, butterfly."

Temari froze, her eyes flicking open for a brief second she noticed a gun.

She would hate the word 'butterfly' for the rest of her life.

However short that might be.

Suddenly she felt the man's presence depart from her own, but she was far too scared and weak to open her eyes. There was the sound of a scuffle, then –

BANG!

Temari twitched and shrank further into herself at the sound of the gunshot. She breathed heavily – wait! Why could she still breathe? Why could…?

She wasn't dead.

She wasn't dead.

Temari opened her eyes only to be greeted with the shadow of a man crumpled on the floor and the shadow of another man standing over that one. She sank to the floor in despair, before a wave of nausea hit her.

She wasn't dead _yet_.

Then everything went black.

"_Oh_!" A high pitched feminine voice moaned in worry. "You're going to go to jail!" She sounded agitated and worried.

Another voice, male this time, sighed in annoyance. "Ino, he's not going to jail."

"He shot someone!" She defended.

A different male voice but in. "Said someone was trying to rape her." This voice sounded angry. And very, _very_ familiar…

"Yeah, Yamanaka. Besides, he's rich, he won't go to jail. He can buy his way out of the system." Another voice, feminine, added.

"Oh, shut it. That doesn't always work." The high voice spat.

The other feminine voice huffed. "Well, still, it's not like he killed someone good, this guy was a ba—"

"I didn't kill anyone." The angry voice defended.

"Yeah," the other male voice snorted, "you only put him in the hospital in which he's in a comatose state the doctors suspect he'll never recover from."

"Point that I'm trying to make," the feminine voice (not the high pitched one) continued, "is that no court will send him to trial for killing-shooting-_whatever_ a bad guy who tried to rape a sweet innocent—" she stopped abruptly. "Okay, so maybe not sweet and innocent, but…a young virg—she _is_ a virgin right?"

"As far as I know." A new gravely voice commented.

"She'd better be a virgin." A new loud and obnoxious voice butt in. "I don't want to think about my sister doing _that_ with _anyone_."

Then a loud slew of interconnected yet separated arguments commenced.

"So, no court," the feminine voice repeated over the noise, "would convict him of shooting a guy who tired to rape a young, promising, virgin girl."

"Oh, would you—" The high pitched voice began.

"I-I-I th-think she's c-coming t-to." A different voice stuttered.

Temari groaned audibly as her head pounded horribly. What was with all the noise? And _what_ were they talking about?

"Temari?" The raspy voice asked.

With an extreme amount of effort she managed to open her eyes. Ugh, her eyelids were _so_ heavy. The shapes before her were a bit blurry; she couldn't quite figure out where she was or with whom except that this seemed to be a rather crowded room. "Ugh…"

"Hey, porcupine."

Porcupine? What? There was a good degree of blurryish shapes crowded around her that she couldn't quite distinguish save for the fact that she knew she should know who they were. The one to her left had blood red hair. Beside him was a pale blue-haired girl. Next to that one was a pale long-haired guy very similar to the girl. There was a brunette with her hair pulled up into two very neat buns. Then a lanky boy with hair in a ponytail. Lastly, there was a skinny blonde.

"'The hell? Who are all these people?"

The lanky one raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

She raised a hand to her head. "I…" Temari rubbed it carefully. _Oh…_Suddenly the shapes started making sense. "Of course I know who you are." She snapped. "Gaara; Bluey;" Temari named them starting from her left, she pointed at the long haired pale one, "okay, you I don't know;" she continued with the one next to him, "Tidbit; Shikamaru; and Blondie." She dropped her hand to her side and sat up. "Why you all are here? In fact," she muttered, taking in her surroundings, "where _is_ here?" The room was very white and…sterile looking.

"Hospital." Ino pronounced her tone a bit higher than Temari remembered it to be.

"Hospi—oh, crap!" Flashes of the night's events passed through her mind at record speed. "What—what?..."

"You'd fainted," Shikamaru clarified slowly, "after I shot the guy."

"Shot the…_shot the_…Oh, thank goodness, nothing happened then." Temari breathed out in relief, elation and gratitude resounding from within her. She dropped back onto the bed in relief. "I fucking love you, Shikamaru."

"Oy!" A different voice exclaimed; Temari didn't have to lift her head to know who it was, only Kankurou could be that loud and annoying. "That better not be a _real_ declaration of love."

Gaara snorted. "Why is that a problem?"

"Because she's our sister." Kankurou muttered indignantly.

Tenten, who was sitting on the foot of her bed, was jumping about in nervous energy, "Yeah, but the lazy bum just saved her ass. If anyone's deserving of that bitch's affections I would say it's him."

"Excuse me?" Temari grumbled in protest, "I'm not…okay maybe I am a little bit of a bitch."

"For curiosity's sake," the long haired pale one said, "_was_ it a real declaration of love?"

"She's delusional; she can't answer that question honestly at the moment." A new voice said in irritation.

"_Sasuke_!" Ino crooned.

Naruto, Gaara, Kankurou, Neji, and Tenten groaned in unison.

"When did Naruto get here?" Temari mumbled sitting up again to be greeted with Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Lee and a robust boy. "And the rest of you too…"

"A second ago." Naruto supplied.

"Ugh." Temari rubbed at her head again. "Can we pause for a second?" She pointed at the tall long-haired one, "Who are you?" She then pointed to the robust boy, "And who are you?"

Shikamaru nodded at the tall one. "Neji." Then another nod at the robust boy, "And Chouji."

"Oh…Okay…Why are you here?" Temari frowned. "Why is everyone here? I didn't even know we were friends."

Tenten clutched her heart in mock hurt. "Now that pains me, Temari, of course we're your friends. You only give us such pretty terms of endearment like Tidbit and Bluey. How can we not be your friends?" She grinned.

Temari stared blankly at the group of people around her bed. "You all think I'm weird."

"You _are_ weird." Sakura responded.

"Doesn't mean we don't like you." Ino clarified.

"I mean, hell," Naruto continued, "if we can put up with a lazy bum like Shikamaru we sure as hell can put up with you."

"You've made him less lazy too." Chouji added.

"We should be friends with you for that alone." Neji finished.

Temari blinked. "Your friendship dynamics are weird if you can continue a sentence like that as if it were one long processed thought of the whole."

"It c-comes wi-with living in a sm-small town." Hinata stuttered softly.

"Do rapists?" Temari grumbled.

"Only _you_ could get into trouble like _that_ in a village this harmless and this small." Shikamaru muttered with eyes rolling.

She collapsed onto the bed. "I'm tired."

"So go to sleep, girl." Tenten harrumphed.

"Kind of hard with a crowd of people clustered around my bed."

"Get used to it, sister," Tenten said, "this ain't changing."

She pulled the sheets over her head. "Weirdoes, _I swear_!"

"Shikamaru," Ino whined, "you're girlfriend is fucking bizarre!"

"I have to be," Temari exclaimed into the bed sheets, "to date him!"

"She's got a point." Tenten stated.

Hinata giggled.

"Alright," Gaara interrupted, "this room is too crowded; I'll be back when it's emptier. Later, Temari."

"Take someone with you, will you?" Temari asked through the sheets.

Hinata squeaked a bit and through the sheets Temari could see her brother's fingers wrapped around her fragile wrist pulling her out of the room.

"Bye, Temari." Hinata said timidly as she was pulled out the room.

"I'll be leaving too, I have to work." Neji said, "and to appease you, Temari, I'll take Lee with me."

Temari smiled against the white sheets pulled over her head.

"I'm out too." Kankurou said.

"Take someone with you!" She reminded.

There was an annoyed sigh and then a loud squeal. "Hey! Put me down!" Tenten complained. Temari pulled the sheets off her head to look at the scene. Kankurou had Tenten thrown over her back and she was pounding her fists against his back. "Put me down!"

"Bye, Tenten!" Temari grinned.

"Hey! Tell your brother to put me down!"

She kept complaining loudly even after he'd taken her out of the room.

"Sasuke-kun," Ino crooned, "do you want to take me out to dinner?"

"No way, Ino-pig! He's taking me!" Sakura defended.

"Sakura-chan, _I'll_ take you to dinner." Naruto said.

After ten minutes worth of arguing, Naruto, Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, and Chouji left for dinner. Chouji was only added in so it couldn't be classified a 'date'. Of course Chouji didn't care about that, he just seemed happy to leave to eat.

Leaving only her and Shikamaru in the room.

Temari relaxed comfortably against her bed. "Good, everyone's gone."

"Oh, so I don't count?" Shikamaru asked.

"Mm…not really. You're you."

He stretched out on the bed beside her.

"Hey!" Temari complained, if only for the sake of complaining; she didn't mind him lying beside her so much. "You shouldn't be lying down on my bed."

"Meh." He mumbled, eyes closed. "I shouldn't do a lot things."

Temari kicked him, or attempted to through the sheets.

She watched his lips tug up into a smile.

With an angry huff she turned on her side away from him and buried her head in her pillow.

Shikamaru chuckled lightly. "You get angry far too easily."

"It's really easy when you're as annoying as you are." Temari turned around abruptly as an odd smell invaded her senses.

She turned to see Shikamaru with a cigarette in his mouth, smoke billowing out. She leant closer sniffing the grey smoke. His eyes flicked open and looked at her speculatively. She turned her head to the side, blushing a bit under his scrutiny. "Smoking is bad for you." She grumbled, even though she desperately wanted to edge closer to get a better scent of the smoke.

Temari couldn't believe she actually _liked_ the scent.

Well, that automatically trashed her as the lead of just about any play. Female leads, in anything, did not like the smell of dangerous and murderous habits as such.

"I don't particularly care."

"Figures you wouldn't."

"Do you want me to put it out?"

No. "Yes." Jeez, she was just a contradictory thing wasn't she? It's no wonder she'd never had a boyfriend before. Fantasizing and never saying what she meant, _fantastic_.

He complied, but smirked at her. "You're not as good of a liar as you think."

"Excuse me?" She asked a bit offended. "I don't lie."

"Now," he began, his eyes scanning her in mirth, "that's what you said to me awhile ago, and while I _do_ think you don't lie to please certain people or fit into social circles, I think you do lie. You tell people what you honestly think and feel only when it doesn't…inversely affect your pride."

"I am not—"

"For example, I don't think you're all that bothered by my smoking at all."

She scowled. "It's a filthy habit."

"Oh, really? I saw your face when you smelled the smoke."

Temari crossed her arms over her chest and turned on her side again. Stupid, intelligent, perceptive male. "Jackass." She grumbled.

She felt his hands around her waist and then she was being turned over. She squealed loudly as he lifted her into the air turning them both around so she was flat on her back looking up and he was over her his hands resting on the bed on either side of her head. He ducked his head low, his lips hovering above her own.

"Am I really a jackass, Temari?" He smirked. "You just can't admit you're a big fat liar, can you? Admit you like my smoking."

"Fuck yo—"

His lips crashed onto her own. "You shouldn't be so foul."

"Shut up." She squirmed a bit underneath him. "You should be too lazy to do something this troublesome." When he was kissing her she felt her entire body shake in an odd flurry of delight and anxiety. She still wasn't sure if that was good thing or a bad thing. It was losing control, but in possibly the nicest way.

"Hmph! When I met you I signed up for a heap-load of trouble." He whispered, his breath sliding across her skin. "While I'm wasting this much energy I might as well go all the way, right?"

Temari scoffed. "You just keep proving me wrong, you know that? It's frankly quite irritating."

He grinned down at her. "Oh, really?"

"At first, I just thought you were a normal guy. Then I thought you were a villain. Now, you're making me think you're prince charming." She paused. "Of course, I doubt prince charming smokes cigarettes." She frowned. "See! You're confusing the order of things!"

"Well, let me clear it up." His lips slid into a widened smile that made Temari's inside squirm pleasantly. "Are you a princess or a villain?"

"I'm the commoner that wishes she could be the princess but never really gets a good part in the story."

He chuckled lightly. "Then I'm the lazy knight who doesn't give a damn and surely doesn't get a part in the story, because his part tied to a troublesome maiden that isn't written, but surely happens."

"Let me guess, Ino is the maiden."

He rolled his eyes at her. "You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"Glad to hear that."

He rolled off her with a laugh, lying beside her again.

Temari couldn't say she thought this position was preferable to their previous one.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Peachy. My boyfriend just rolled me around my _hospital_ bed and neglected to deny the accusation I made that Ino was his fair maiden. I'd say I'm feeling fantastic wouldn't you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Would it please you for me to deny such a ridiculous accusation? I figured it was stupid enough that it didn't merit a response."

"Tenten says Ino dated you once."

"I believe she also mentioned something about her doing it only for my money."

"Oh? And how would you know that? Were you spying on me?" She questioned suspiciously.

"I don't need to. This village is small, anything and everything you do gets around." He yawned. "But the reason I know is because it's _Tenten_. She wouldn't mention Ino without mentioning her motives."

"You really like avoiding talking about that don't you." She pointed out a little bitterly. She didn't want to come off bitter, she just _felt_ it.

"I didn't take you for the jealous type."

She sighed. "I'm not. I just…I want to _know_. Is it really such a bad thing that it bothers me that you don't want to talk about it?"

He closed his eyes.

Temari sighed. She rolled over onto her side, this time _facing him_, and closed her eyes. She really was tired and this conversation wasn't going anywhere. She might as well sleep.

She woke up a little later her face buried in some green cloth. She grumbled a bit and punched her pillow – it wasn't very squishy now was it? Stupid hospitals. She buried her face further into the green pillow trying to find herself a comfortable position.

Temari blinked as she felt her pillow squeeze her – well hug her would probably be a more accurate verb. She lifted her head and immediately regretted doing so. "Oh, crap." She dropped her face back down into the 'pillow'.

She felt her _pillow_, AKA Shikamaru Nara, shake with laughter.

"You're funny."

"Shut up." She mumbled into his chest. She tried to detach herself from him, only to find his hands around her waist holding her very tightly to him. "…You mind letting me go?"

"Actually, I would mind very much."

She blushed and settled onto his chest. "Weirdo."

"Like you're not enjoying it." He whispered into her ear.

"Doesn't mean you're not a weirdo." She grumbled. "Hey, you smell like smoke."

"While you were sleeping I had a cigarette."

"Oh." She tried to subtly inhale the lovely smell.

"I knew you liked the smell."

Although apparently, not subtle enough.

She could feel him hesitating.

"Go ahead, ask away."

"…You are okay, right? I mean you're not…Not…"

"We're very eloquent right now, Mr. Nara." She teased. Temari looked up at him.

He scowled down at her. "I'm trying to—"

"I am fine." She answered seriously. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing to be freaked about."

"_Nothing happened_?" He whispered sharply, accusatorily.

Temari saw the brief flicker of anger in his eyes immediately. "A few bruises aren't a big deal."

"It—"

"My father had hurt me before worse than that guy did."

His eyes softened. "…Your father?"

She hesitated. "Yeah. Jackass to the end. A _real_ jackass, not the kind I accuse you of being." She snuggled into his embrace. "It's easier to understand if you – well, if you know Gaara's story."

He nodded. "Hn."

Temari scowled. "You're too accepting of a person."

He raised an eyebrow. "And that's a bad thing?"

"It makes me look bad."

He laughed. "You're absolutely ridiculous."

"_That_! That too! You call me funny and ridiculous! That's making me look ditzy."

"You are not ditzy, just _absurd_."

She narrowed her eyes. "It might just be the paranoia talking but you make that sound worse."

"It's endearing."

"To a freak."

"Well, I'm a freak so it works."

"Ano…T-T-Tem-mari…"

Temari tried to crane her head in the direction of the voice by the door entrance, but found with the way she was currently laying and the tightness which Shikamaru was holding her, that was impossible.

Shikamaru smirked.

Temari itched to slap that smug look off his face.

"Hello, Hinata." Shikamaru said politely.

"Gaara wishes to sp-speak with you if you…ano…aren't…busy…"

"You're stuttering less." Shikamaru said before Temari could respond.

_That_ was less? Jeez, how much did this girl normally stutter? "I would, if this idiot would get his hands off of me!" She complained.

Shikamaru sighed. "If you insist." His hands released their grip on her.

"Hey, wait!" She complained promptly, her hands pulling his back. "I didn't insist at all!"

Hinata giggled softly.

Shikamaru smirked.

"Oh, everyone shut your traps." She grumbled.

A new laugh sounded out nice and low. "Wow, Temari, who knew giving you a boyfriend would turn you into a slopping sucker."

"Shut up, Gaara." She would know his voice anywhere. "You and Bluey seem to be getting pretty close."

Temari instantly felt cheated because she could not see either party's reaction.

Shikamaru promptly fixed that. "Hinata's as red as a tomato. I think she might faint soon. Gaara looks disturbed; he's blushing a bit too. It's barely noticeable but it's there." He whispered into her ear.

"I knew it." Temari said haughtily.

"Nara, can I speak with you?"

Shikamaru's hands left her waist again. "Sure thing, Gaara."

"You're not going to say or do something stupid to him are you?" Temari complained, rolling over onto her back so she could see Gaara, Hinata, and Shikamaru.

"Not me." Gaara smirked. "Kankurou might."

"If he does, punch him for me. No wait, better yet, get Tenten to punch him for me. She'll knock him into next week."

Gaara and Shikamaru simultaneously rolled their eyes.

Temari stuck her tongue out at them.

Odd didn't even _begin _to describe this situation.

* * *

**A/N:** YES! My tests are over!

I'm so happy. Well, I can finally get back to writing. You don't know how much torture it was for me to prohibit myself from writing for two weeks. I wanted to die. I was so tired last week, studying is harder than it sounds. (This was the first time I've ever really studied for anything)

Well, anywho, tell me what you think!

**(1)**"The Sweet Far Thing" Libba Bray. Something Gemma says about girls and proper etiquette. Also had to do with hair.


	8. Gaara's Tale

_Ch.8:_** Gaara's Tale**

* * *

Hinata faltered timidly at the door before Temari yanked her arm closer to the bed until the pale girl fell onto the bed. Temari scowled as the girl fell onto her bed. She even _fell down _with extreme grace.

Hinata blushed. "I'm sorry…"

Temari rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous, Bluey." She hesitated. "You don't mind me calling you Bluey, do you?"

She shook her head, a timid smile on her lips. "I – I like it actually."

"Good then." Temari stated calmly. Sitting up the blonde inclined her head at the pale creature. "I've been calling you that for too long. Would've been hard to change." She was a very nice looking girl, Temari reasoned. Her skin was a bit pale, but not like deathly pale. Her eyes were a very light lavender. Maybe in some circles it would be considered creepy; Temari merely thought it looked very cool. Her lips were small, but pouty. Her face round and genteel. She was fairly skinny, but not skinny in the way that Ino was skinny. She seemed to be a very healthy meaty skinny. Temari also suspected if the girl were to take off that too-big-for-her jacket, it would reveal an ample chest. She was indeed very beautiful in a harbored flower sort of way.

She seemed the type to need sheltering and protection, but then again, appearances tended to be dastardly deceiving.

No wonder Gaara had a thing for her.

Temari inwardly wondered if she still harbored a crush on Naruto. She smirked. To hell with wondering. "You're not still tripping over Naruto, are you?"

She blinked and blushed a tiny bit. "I…What?"

"Because I think I'd like to know." Temari said authoritatively.

Hinata fidgeted. "When you say 'tripping'…?"

Temari sighed in annoyance. "Do you, or do you not have a crush on Naruto?"

Hinata suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"I'm not going to eat you." Temari assured.

Something akin to the lines of 'are you sure' was clearly evident in her lavender eyes. "I don't…" Hinata frowned. "I don't know."

Temari nodded. "Fair enough." She cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck about. "Do you have a crush on Gaara?"

This time her face turned flat-out tomato red. "D-D-Do we h-h-have to t-talk about th-this?"

Temari smirked. "We can drop it. I think I've got my answer anyway."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't faint, Bluey." Temari commanded, slightly worried for the girl. She was genuinely concerned. "Are you good?"

She breathed in. "I think I'm o-okay."

Temari looked out the doorway. What was her brother talking to him about? She frowned.

Hinata smiled softly. "He's asking him about his intentions—"

Temari scowled. "Oh, I told those idiots not to butt in. They aren't my father."

"He's doing it because he cares." Hinata said. "You should have heard him when he ran it by me. It was very sweet."

Temari rolled her eyes. "You're too passive. That's _definitely_ a Konoha thing right?"

Hinata continued as if she hadn't her speak at all. "He also wants to…"

Temari stared expectantly at her. "To?"

She shifted. "Tell him."

"Tell him what?"

"Th-the story."

"What story?" Oh, this was just starting to get aggravating. Pussyfooting around, _that_ was a Konoha trait too.

Hinata ducked her head. Indigo strands of hair covered her fair face. It provided a stark and beautiful contrast. Temari absently thought Hinata's current position would make a lovely portrait. If she could paint, she certainly would paint that scene, but she had zero artistic talent.

"You know…" She said in a timbre so low it was almost a whisper. "About your father and the – _illness_ – and…all that nonsense."

Her eyes widened significantly. "He _told_ you about all that?"

Hinata nodded.

Temari laughed in mirth.

Hinata looked at her in absolute confusion.

Gaara had more than just a crush on the lovely. Gaara more than enjoyed her company. Gaara was _in love_ with the creature. And the idiot probably hadn't even realized it yet.

Gaara wasn't a social person.

He'd _never_ been a social person. Of course, considering her family's background that was completely understandable. When you learned about the Sabaku background, everything about her brothers and herself as a unit seemed understandable and downright logical. Without the knowledge, it just seemed a bit awkward.

So Gaara telling this pretty little thing about their past was more significant and monumental than any other stunt he could've pulled.

The truth was, Gaara was schizophrenic. **(****1****)** He'd been schizophrenic since he was a young child. According to the psychiatrists he'd seen not too long ago, his was one of the worst cases that had ever graced Suna. Gaara had positive _and_ negative symptoms. **(****2****)** And the lack of treatment in his younger years had only served to make it worse.

Ignoring all the annoying and troublesome story, the basic case went as such: when Kaura was pregnant with Gaara she was beaten around by their father because he suspected Kaura of cheating. She was in the hospital continually. Rumor had it some drunken psycho in the hospital cut Gaara out of Kaura's stomach, even though the baby wasn't due for another mouth. As far as the rumors went, the cut was crude and painful, done without any anesthetic. Kaura died on the spot.

Temari was inclined to believe the rumors. She was even more inclined to believe her father had ordered it to be done, that was, assuming the jackass hadn't done it himself.

After that things only went from bad to worse.

Temari had always looked like her mother, and as if in retaliation, Temari was beat day in and day out for her mother's 'sins'. Gaara's appearance only further confirmed her father's suspicions that Kaura was cheating. Gaara looked nothing like their father.

Gaara was continually ignored and treated horribly.

There were also a good amount of people who attempted to kill him. (Temari suspected it was all done on her father's orders.) People simply kept failing because Yashamaru protected him for awhile. Yashamaru, their uncle took care of Gaara for a time; that was until the asshole tried to kill Gaara to.

No one's really sure why Yashamaru failed, but the popular rumor is Gaara fought back and killed him.

Since then, the poor boy had never been the same.

Gaara had always heard a voice in his head, after that instance he took a habit to listening to the voice, since everyone else ran away from him. He had no one else, but himself. The voice unfortunately, told him to kill.

Temari and Kankurou feared their youngest brother for the longest time, completely afraid of what the boy had become. It wasn't until Temari grew old enough to ignore her fear she realized what was truly going on with Gaara. He wasn't an evil creature as her father and the rest of the village enjoyed to say. His problem was an illness; it was something that could be cured.

She checked out book after book on psychological disorders trying to piece everything together. Once she had all the information necessary, she tried to convince her father to send the boy to psychiatric counseling.

He flat out refused.

So Temari did the only thing she could do. With Kankurou's help, they smuggled money out of their father's account until they had enough to get Gaara help.

They both got _jobs_ too.

Luckily, it was all worth the exhaustion.

Gaara proceeded well during the therapy and prescribed some medicine. He said the voice was still there, but everything seemed better now. For once, she saw her brother become human.

They were _all_ much better now.

Temari smiled at the girl. "So you aren't scared of him?"

She shrugged. "Why should I be? He's just as normal as everybody else. Having schizophrenia doesn't…change him." She seemed to be struggling to explain how she felt. "He's not crazy."

"You're some kind of special, sweetie."

Hinata stared curiously at her. "Why do you s-say that?"

"You're just very accepting." She paused. "Or is that a Konoha thing too?"

"Have you _met_ Ino?" Instantly she clasped her hand to her mouth in embarrassment. Pink flushed her cheeks. "Don't t-tell her I s-said that."

Temari chuckled.

She fidgeted. "Besides, it's not a big deal. I mean, your father was a real jerk." The girl ducked her head again. "Accepting is easy when you know the truth."

Temari fell back down on the bed. "You would think so." She contemplated their days back in Suna. She loved that place with all her heart, but… "No matter how many people knew the entire truth back home, people hated Gaara. People hated me. In fact they hated and feared Gaara, Kankurou, and me more when they learned the truth."

Bluey pursed her lips. "Well that's just silly."

Temari smiled. "I know, right?" She sat up again and looked at the timid girl. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Inwardly Temari kicked herself. Who _said_ that? _Can I ask you a question?_ Ridiculous. Pfft! That was a question in itself.

She nodded.

Temari hesitated. "What's…What's the deal with Ino and Shikamaru?"

Hinata fidgeted. "I would like to tell you, but…" She sighed. "That's really something you sh-should ask Shikamaru."

She pouted. With annoyance Temari crossed her arms against her chest. "Jeez, everybody tells me that crap."

"B-Because it's wh-what's right."

"Well it would certainly work out much better if the lazy moron would answer my question."

Hinata shrugged. "He'll tell you when he's ready."

She scowled. "You're too damned reasonable. It makes everything less fun." Temari decided right then and there that it was her personality that got her in so much trouble. In a town like this, one should resemble Hinata to be safe.

"Makes everything safer too." Shikamaru stated as he walked into the room, hands deep in his pockets.

"Still boring." She complained

Shikamaru leant against the wall by the doorway, an amused smile pulling at his lips.

Gaara followed in looking passive and bored.

Temari glanced at the two men. "So, what did you two men talk about?"

"Nosy." Shikamaru smirked at her.

"Jerk."

"Trouble-maker."

"Lazy."

"Bossy."

"Useless."

"Bitchy."

Gaara's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Do you two do this often?"

"It's cute." Hinata said quietly. "In an o-odd way."

"So cute," Tenten chimed in as she walked into the room, "that you could gag from the sweetness." The brunette settled herself beside Hinata at the foot of Temari's bed. She looked at the two men by the doorway.

Shikamaru was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed while Gaara standing in the doorway his body slightly tilted to the side as he rested on the doorframe.

"Men." Tenten complained. "Always trying to look cool." She waved erratically at them. "You see that? All that leaning and little smiles to look like their king of the playground." She snorted. "That's why all the twits in this town are head over heels for Sasuke. He's got the cool thing down to an _art_."

Temari wrinkled her nose in protest. "Tidbit, I don't think he's cool at _all_." Really, the boy was just…weird. And weird was being nice. He wasn't weird in the nice but creepy way that Lee was weird, Sasuke was weird in that 'oh crap, a living zombie with good genetics' type thing.

Tenten grinned. "What're you talking about? He's definitely cool. He's so cool, ice cubes are jealous."

Temari choked on silent laughter.

Shikamaru smirked.

"Cold is one thing he surely is." Gaara added with a smile.

Hinata shook her head as if chastising them, all the while trying hard to suppress her smile. "Oh, you guys are just so mean."

"C'mon, Bluey, you gotta admit it's a very good point."

"Question." Shikamaru spoke out calmly.

Tenten turned to stare at the lazy one.

Temari inwardly melted. Ugh. Why did his voice have to sound so suave? He could probably talk her into something very sadistic or masochist one day and she'd agree without realizing it just because of his voice.

"Shoot, lover boy." Tenten teased.

Shikamaru raised and eyebrow at the name, but didn't press the issue. "If, you're so adamant against 'cool' types, Tenten, then what exactly is going on with you and Neji?"

Temari watched incredulously as the brunette's cheeks tinged a light pink and she ducked her head. She was instantly reminded of Hinata, as the girl's current actions mirrored the one's Hinata had just a little while ago. Temari waved her hand before the girl's face. "Tidbit? Oy!" She snapped her fingers. "Tidbit! Don't go all freakzoid on me."

Tenten lifted her head, "I'm fine, really."

Temari crossed her arms. "So? What's the stitch with you and Bluey's cuz?"

Tenten opened her mouth to reply only to close it promptly.

Temari frowned.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Forget I said anything."

Temari opened her mouth to protest, but closed it upon seeing the look Shikamaru gave her. Funnily enough, when she looked at Gaara and Hinata they seemed to be giving her the same look. Inwardly, she felt annoyed and disturbed. Why couldn't she prod her friend? Isn't that what friends did? Bothered one another to get the real feelings out in the air?

Tenten bit her lower lip. "I…Excuse me." Carefully the brunette slid off the bed and made her way out of the room quietly.

Finally Temari couldn't hold it anymore. "What was that?"

Hinata hesitated. Gaara looked to the side. Shikamaru looked at her evenly.

Temari growled. "Oh brilliant! Is this another one of those stupid things I have to let her tell me when she wants to tell me? Hell, Gaara knows! Why don't I?"

Shikamaru pushed himself off the wall, and sat to the left of her. "Calm down, Tem." He pushed the bangs out of her eyes. "You really have no patience, you realize?" He sighed.

Temari scowled. Hard to be patient when everyone knew except for you.

"This isn't one of _those_ things. This is…." Shikamaru frowned. "I don't really know what it is. It's just Tenten and Neji have an on and off relationship type thing."

"So? Why is that such a big deal?"

Hinata straightened. "It's just; their re-relationship is never really 'on', so to speak."

Temari's brow furrowed. "What does that—"

"Neji is like Kankurou." Gaara interrupted. "But worse. Worse in that Kankurou may act like a jerk, but he doesn't drag anybody along."

"And Tidbit is…" Suddenly it all made sense. "That _jerk_!"

"Tenten th-thinks Neji is changing." Hinata stammered softly. "He's my c-cousin and I love him b-but, he's not interested in Tenten long-term." She paused, "at least not yet, anyway."

"Or short term." Shikamaru grumbled in annoyance under his breath. "Neji's told her all this, Tenten is just…adamant."

Hinata continued quietly. "He is a nice guy, relationships just aren't his thing."

Hunh. So Tenten was a female version of Naruto? Persevering until the end with a person who didn't quite see her…

"He's not her prince." Shikamaru rephrased for her.

Temari wanted to smile at Shikamaru's explanation, but she found it hard to do so. Despite everything, Tidbit was growing on her. She was a very nice and charismatic girl. She needed a good prince too. If Kankurou wasn't so fixated on Barbie-doll types they'd make a good pair.

She blinked in shock as she realized what it was that had just crossed her mind. Goodness sakes' all this mushy-gushy stuff with Shikamaru had her going nuts.

"Shikamaru," Gaara spoke quietly, "go eat."

Shikamaru glanced at her brother. "I'm not—"

"Go eat." Gaara repeated.

Shikamaru scowled. "I am not hungry."

Temari smiled at the realization that her younger brother was bossing her boyfriend around.

Gaara looked pointedly at her. "Temari, your boyfriend hasn't eaten all day. He's been looking after you since you were brought into the hospital. In fact, he wouldn't have eaten the first two days you were in here if it weren't for Ino bringing him food."

Temari warmed at the thought that he had been watching over her since she was in. "You really haven't eaten, Shikamaru?"

"I'm fine." He protested.

Hinata scoffed. The pale girl covered her mouth with her hands immediately. "I'm sorry." She squeaked.

"Fine, are we?"

"Yes, fine."

"You realize, Lazy, Hinata just scoffed at that. The meekest person I know scoffed at what you just said. It's _obviously_ a huge lie."

"In the words of a certain Pinocchio I know," Shikamaru stated, "'I do not lie.'"

"According to _you_, I lie."

"Well, now, who are we going to believe?"

Temari's eyes narrowed. "Go eat something. I'm not having you die on me, and I don't want Blondie to bring you food again."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you still on that?"

"And I will be until I know what everybody else in this damn city already knows."

Gaara yawned. "Is this the Ino thing?"

Temari's eyebrow twitched. "My little brother knows?"

Shikamaru chuckled nervously. "Oh, would you look at that, turns out I am hungry."

"Shikamaru!" Temari protested as her lazy prince charming walked out her hospital room. "Dammit, Lazy, get back here!"

Gaara followed him out, obviously sensing he would be the next target of her fury if he didn't.

Temari slouched and glared at the empty doorway. "Stupid men. I hate them. They should all just go extinct."

Hinata chuckled softly.

Temari glared at the pale girl.

Much to her charging, the shy flower didn't cower, stammer, blush, or back away in the least bit.

Great, now her glare was losing effect.

Temari once again wondered over her position. Maybe she _was_ the princess. She obviously had no tool whatsoever to protect her. That made her a stupid helpless damsel in distress.

"Gaara's right." Hinata said quietly to her, a full blown smile on her lips. "You're quite nice when you get down to it."

"So you thought I was bitchy?" Temari grumbled, annoyed that it didn't appear to be the case anymore.

"I thought you were _terrifying_."

"Ah, the good days."

Hinata chuckled again.

Temari stretched her limbs a bit in the bed. "By the by, Bluey," She said sweetly, "why does Gaara know the Ino story?"

"I t-told him."

Temari's eyebrow began twitching again. "You wouldn't mind telling me, now would you?"

She frowned. "Well, apparently, Shikamaru doesn't want you to know…."

"So? We're friends. Friends share."

"Be that as it may, I don't believe I should tell you."

Temari scowled and flopped back onto her back on the bed. "This just plain sucks."

"Cheer up, Temari." Hinata said sweetly, "You are healthy and safe."

Temari figured that was a good thing to be happy about.

She was alive.

And not raped.

That was good.

So what if her boyfriend had a secret story with his ex which he refused to tell her about but everyone else seemed to magically know about?

She, at the very least, had a prince (if he could even be called that), and she was alive (for now anyway).

Dammit.

She just really, _really_ wanted to know.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm just really interested in psychological disorders.

I intend to become a psychiatrist when I'm old enough. What about you all?

**(1)** "Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder, thought to be caused by imbalances in brain chemistry, which involves delusions and faulty perceptions of the world. Schizophrenics often hear voices in their head and have delusions of grandeur." – AlleyDog definition. (Too lazy to define it myself)

**(2) **Positive symptoms in schizophrenia are symptoms where you sort of "gain" something. Like you start hearing voices or seeing delusions. Negative symptoms are where you "lose" something. You speak very monotonously, and don't seem to be able to respond to the situations the way you should. Like laughing at something very sad or cruel.

* * *


	9. The Moment a Heart Breaks

_Ch.9:__The Moment a Heart Breaks_

* * *

"I'm free! I'm free! I'm free!" Temari chanted happily as she skipped out of the hospital.

Tenten covered her ears in annoyance. Hinata smiled meekly. Naruto joined her in her chants.

"Seriously!" Tenten exclaimed. "Shut up! So you're _free_, get over it, girl!"

Temari stuck her tongue out at the brunette. "Oh, shut it. _You_ weren't cooped inside a room for two weeks."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Firstly, it was not two weeks, it was twelve days." Temari huffed out in annoyance. Tenten continued, "And, I was there with you so much I could have spent a week there."

"But _you_ got breaks."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, sand wretch, but you'll never get a break from yourself. Although, I know you desperately need it."

Temari shoved her.

Tenten shoved back.

In two minutes the two girls were now having an odd sparing match outside in public for the world to see.

Hinata smiled at the two temperamental and playful women. Naruto just looked at them dumbfounded.

"It's about time Tenten found a decent playmate." Ino crooned suddenly.

Temari collapsed onto the ground on her back laughing hard. Tenten settled beside her, breathing heavily a wide smile on her lips.

"Sh-shut it, B-Blondie." Temari breathed.

"Tomboys to the end," Ino chastised.

Naruto drew his hands behind his head. "I'm hungry, is anyone up for ramen?"

Tenten sat up. "Oh, yeah. Food, that's what I need."

Hinata nodded her agreement.

Temari frowned. "Ramen? I just got out of the hospital, I want better food."

"Ramen IS THE BEST FOOD!" Naruto exclaimed with glee.

Temari stared at him speculatively. "Riiight."

Ino held out her hand. "Come on, Temari. Let's go eat at that nice little restaurant by the store you work at."

Temari eyed the skinny girl's hand. She thought taking her hand had to be something akin to jumping inside a pool of carnivorous sharks.

"They have the best cookies."

It suddenly made sense to Temari how Shikamaru always managed to bring her a cookie when she was working. Oh, those cookies were fantastic. Temari considered it for that alone.

"Honestly, I'm not going to bite or anything." She huffed. "I just need to talk to you about something."

Temari slid her eyes to Tenten.

The brunette was watching Blondie very carefully. After a few more seconds she shrugged and mouthed 'just see what she wants' to her. "Well, Temari," She chimed "Naruto, Hinata, and I are headed for ramen, you know where we'll be if you change your mind."

Ino looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"I don't like you very much."

"I've realized." She pushed platinum bangs out of her face with an air of superiority. "I just don't care."

"So you like me?"

"Shikamaru likes you. Whether I like you or not is completely irrelevant. You're part of his life so I must play nice."

Temari sighed. "Alright." She took the blonde's hand, surprised to find it was actually rather cold. "Let's got chat."

Ino pulled her up with a wide smile. "We'll be friends yet, Temari."

"I doubt it." Temari answered truthfully.

Most people would look crestfallen at such a comment. Ino just smiled ever-more brightly. She seemed to think her disdain as a challenge.

Upon thinking about it, Temari mused that's exactly what it was. After all, everyone in the village liked Ino. Even Tenten, who _hated_ the girl admitted that Ino _was_ nice, she just had… witchy tendencies.

There had to be something brimming under the surface right?

Besides, it _was_ best to get to the princess of the fairy tale if she wanted to be in the fairy tale at all right?

Wonder who was Ino's prince?

Twenty minutes later, she was settled comfortably in a nice both a chipper Ino before her chattering about some fashion necessity.

Temari merely stared blankly at the blonde, her attempts to pay even the slightest bit of attention long gone. At the start of the conversation she had tried to listen to what the skinny girl was twittering about, but now she just settled for looking at her and nodding when it seemed appropriate.

It was shoes they were talking about. Or at least, that's what she figured the topic of discussion was. For all she knew Ino could be chattering about bracelets, coffee, or even the starving children in Ethiopia. Temari simply could not concentrate; she just kept staring at her and wondering what it was about her that made so many people like her. Sure, she was friendly, but her crueler tendencies more than made up for that.

Right?

"Temari!" Ino snapped.

She blinked. "Yes?"

The girl before her sighed in aggravation. "You weren't listening to me at all were you?"

"Not really."

The blonde huffed out in annoyance. "I really don't know why Shikamaru bothers with you."

Temari leaned forward; she liked this turn in the conversation. "You know, I've been thinking the exact same thing. Well, but about you."

Ino's eyebrows knitted together.

"But before we start on that. Do tell me, what's so horrid about me?" Not that Temari wasn't aware of the numerous faults of her person, she was just curious as to what fair Ino thought was wrong with her.

Ino picked up her glass of lemonade and stared coolly at her. Temari figured the blonde was trying to figure out if she had ill intentions in asking that question. Temari figured it did _sound_ like she had ill intentions, but she really didn't. She sipped at the lemon drink with her blue eyes watching her carefully. "You're too honest." She paused. "You talk as if you're perpetually annoyed even when you aren't." Ino settled the glass down on the table. "You're very contradictory and heaven knows you're the clumsiest creature I've ever met." Her nose wrinkled.

Temari flushed at the last mention. Everything Ino had just said was actually very true, but it was only the last one that bothered her. She actually liked everything else about her personality.

"You also dress ridiculous. I mean, really," Ino flicked one of her ponytails, "who wears their hair like _that_?"

"I like it." Temari defended stubbornly.

"That doesn't stop it from being ridiculous." Ino clicked her tongue, "And you're just plain _odd_."

"So that's all?"

Ino's nails tapped against the glass. "Yes, that would be all."

"None of those things are really all that bad."

"Normally, I would agree with you but," Ino's lips quirked up into a smirk, "Shikamaru's just so lazy. I find it amazing that he is willing to put up with you considering you are a remarkable amount of trouble."

"Yes, well…" Temari raised her glass to her lips. What could she say that? It's not like _she_ had an answer. She had been wondering the same thing; probably everyone in the town thought around the same lines as Ino.

"I'm envious to be entirely truthful."

Temari spit out some of her drink in shock. "Wh-What was that?"

"I'm jealous, Temari." The blonde propped her head on her hands.

Temari considered what to do with this new information. Parts of her wanted to attack the blonde out of sheer possessiveness. Dammit, Shikamaru was _hers_. Other parts of her wanted to ask why. Parts of her were pleased. Nobody had ever been jealous of her. In fact, people looked at her and thanked the powers above that they _weren't_ her. Now somebody was jealous. Mostly, the largest part of her wondered what Ino had up her sleeve.

Ino chuckled softly. "Oh, don't look so bitter. I'm not talking about Shikamaru here."

Temari lowered her glass instead rubbing her temple. "Blondie, you're sending me in a loop. What _are_ you talking about?"

"I'm over Shikamaru. In fact there never really was a Shikamaru that way for me to begin with. So don't get all furious because of that; that's not what I mean. You see," Ino leaned forward, "I'm pretty damn hot. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I look good and I know it. Yet, I've never been able to attract a guy like you seem to have interested Shikamaru. There's a . . . magnetism between you two that is just so _fantastic_. I'm hard pressed to say it's love."

Temari blushed horribly. Love? No…it couldn't be love… It was something, but _love_?

"It's a nice thing." She smiled charmingly. "I used to say I loved Sasuke. Even then I always knew I was full of it. But now it's just so clear how little of the thing I actually knew."

"You still chase Sasuke."

Ino waved her hand about. "Of course." She smirked. "Just because I don't love him doesn't mean I don't want a taste."

Temari almost fell off her chair. "Fuck, Ino!" Temari held her hand to her heart trying to calm the sporadic beating. Something about Ino's words and determined smirk just scared her from head to toe. "You remind me of a shark. Or a tiger maybe." Temari mumbled trying to calm herself.

Ino laughed. "Maybe I am one." With one finger she traced the rim of her empty glass of lemonade. "Now, Temari, tell me what's so wrong with me."

"You're manipulative." Temari muttered without thinking over her words. "And given this recent information, scary as hell."

"Aha!" Ino exclaimed in triumph. "That's it!"

Temari edged farther back away from the blonde. "What's it?"

"You're threatened."

Temari's eyes narrowed. "I am not."

"Oh, just ignore the whole sex thing. It's all past."

This time, Temari _did_ fall out of her chair. "The whole _what_ thing!?" She clamored in panic as she pulled herself back on to the booth.

Ino blinked slowly. "You didn't _know_?" She frowned, "Then why did…"

"You had _sex_ with Shikamaru?"

The blonde suddenly looked very agitated. "Temari, dear, you're telling me that Shikamaru hasn't spoken to you about that?"

_That_ was the secret everyone was keeping from her? The worry in Ino's voice was strikingly clear. The chatter in the store suddenly increased volume and her heart seemed to be beating ridiculously fast. "No." She muttered through gritted teeth. "He's failed to mention anything of the sort."

Ino bit her lip nervously. "Temari, really it's not so ba—"

"Shut up, Ino." Anger broiled in her veins.

This was, as a matter of fact, a very big, very bad thing. This is the kind of thing she would have liked to know. NOT the kind of thing you put off. Sure it wasn't a nice topic of conversation, but it was not something you _hid_.

At least not from her.

Really, people only hid stuff like that if…if the person still had feelings over the other person.

What if Shikamaru still had feelings for Ino?

She had asked him when he got over her.

He said he didn't like to lie.

That could only…

_That jerk!_

Temari stood up and left the restaurant without another word to the skinny blonde.

Ino followed after her, "Oh, Temari!" She called out, sounding rather agitated. "Could you let me explain?"

"Explain _what _exactly?" Temari asked tersely.

Ino chewed on her lower lip. "It's really not what it sounds like. If you would just—"

"I don't want to hear details, Ino."

"I'm not intending to give you details, dammit!" She exclaimed furiously. "Just listen."

"I don't want to listen." Temari spat back. With a huff she turned on her heel and marched back home.

"Dammit! Quit walking away from me!" Ino hurried after her. "Who cares if we had sex?"

"I care!" Temari protested, not able to ignore her as she'd fully intended.

"And _why_?!" Ino continued, "That was the past! The PAST. It doesn't matter anymore. It's not like we ever really had anything going on."

Temari turned around and jabbed the blonde in the chest with her finger. "That makes it worse!" She hissed out slowly. "The fucking _idiot_ had sex with you when there was nothing going on!"

Ino groaned. "Temari, look—"

"I don't want to _look_."

"That's it!" Ino screamed. "_This_ is why everyone finds it hard to like you at first! One little thing pisses you off, and you won't listen! People are stupid, Temari, you're gonna have to learn that! While Shikamaru is a genius, he is no exception. He does stupid things. That doesn't mean anything! He is in love with you, dammit! And what happened between him and me—"

"Is what happens with you and _every_ male in this stupid town?" Temari spat bitterly.

Ino's mouth dropped open and her face flushed. "_I am not_—"

"This is why a lot of people dislike _you_." Temari continued, not caring if she was hurting the blonde. "You're a vindictive slut that should just—"

"I've only had sex that one time!" She hissed out. "And I—"

"Just leave me alone!"

Ino's teeth ground together. "I just _knew_ Shikamaru was making a mistake. I _knew_ I shouldn't have told him anything when he asked me about you!"

"You really shouldn't have." Temari sneered. "Then we'd both be happy."

"Go back to Suna where you belong." Ino glared.

"If only I could, Blondie."

The two girls stood there on the sidewalk glaring at each other as if they were the worst of enemies. Temari hated Ino right then and there. Temari hated Konoha. Most of all, she hated herself.

She'd officially become one of those girls.

She'd fallen for a guy, had her life revolve around said guy, and felt as if she'd been cheated. She wasn't Temari anymore. She was _Shikamaru's girlfriend_. She was one of _those_ girls.

Temari stalked off from the angry blonde and headed home. That was, if the house they had in this dumb green place could actually be called home.

As soon as she closed the door of her house behind her, Temari let it all consume her.

She was angry.

Damn straight she was angry. She wanted to strangle Shikamaru. She wanted to strangle Ino. She wanted to go home.

Her real home.

Not this green, smushy area. She wanted to go where the sun was unbearably hot, the sand warm, the people harsh, and everyone's emotions detached. She wanted to go back to the place where she wouldn't be like this. Where her emotions wouldn't hurt her like this.

It never hurt like this in Suna.

Even when things were at their worst – it never _hurt_.

Because she never let it become real. She never let herself feel it. She was always detached, always a spectator. She was always alone. Being alone was nice, being alone was safe. There was never anybody there who could hurt her when she was alone.

She'd tried to be the same way here, but the people just wiggled into her life. The people just made their imprint in her life whether she wanted it or not. They knew her. They didn't let her be lonely.

With them, they could help her just as much as they could hurt her.

This way of life was too hard.

She sunk to the floor and rested her head on her knees breathing hard. Her lips trembled and gasps erupted from somewhere deep inside of her.

It took Temari a few seconds to figure out that she was crying.

She tried to rub the liquid off her face, but it just kept falling. It kept falling and falling and it just _wouldn't stop._

It wasn't just the idea that Shikamaru had had sex with Ino that was disturbing her. It wasn't just the idea that Shikamaru might still have feelings for Ino that was bothering her.

It was the fact that she cared.

It was the fact that such a simple thought could ruin her.

It was the fact that she wasn't Temari anymore, she was everybody.

It was the fact that she was dependent.

She didn't want to be that girl. She didn't want to be the girl who could be ruined by a man. She didn't want to be the girl who could break easily. She didn't want to be the girl that old men and women looked at, and said 'that's why men are in charge of the country'. She was not fragile. She was not weak.

Except, she was becoming it.

Soon enough, she might just end up like Tenten. Soon enough, she might understand what it was the pushed Tenten to put up with Neji.

And she just didn't want to be that.

Temari jumped as a familiar ringing filled the room. She wiped at her eyes once more and pulled herself up from the floor. She crossed the room and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She answered quietly.

"Temari." A familiar voice said in concern. "I was just – Ino told me that you – I'm not even sure. What happened between you two? Ino's in a state."

Temari lowered herself to the couch and weighed his words in her mind. Not that it mattered much to her. She'd already made up her mind. He sounded more concerned for Ino than for her. She sighed. "Shikamaru?"

She could almost hear his confusion. "Temari, what's bothering you? You sound—"

"Thanks for everything you've done for me, Shikamaru, but I…" She hesitated. Somehow it felt like she would be cutting off a piece of herself if she finished her thought. She trembled as a fresh tear slid down her face. No. She didn't want that part anyway. It was a troublesome part. "I don't think I want to see you again."

Silence. Then, "Troublesome, woman. Don't say stupid things. Let's—"

"Shikamaru, I'm serious. I'm breaking up with you."

"What did Ino tell you?" His voice was strained, and maybe, maybe sad. Or perhaps she was just imagining that.

He never had after all shown much emotion toward her other than amusement, indifference, and annoyance. "It doesn't matter. I'm just not meant to do this, okay? It's not working." She hung up the phone before she could hear him say anything else.

She breathed in and out slowly as she came to terms with what she'd said to him.

It really wasn't because of what Ino said.

It was because Ino had made her realize who she'd become.

Temari rubbed at her eyes. That was a person she did not want to be. Shikamaru had made her that way, so clipping him off should fix the problem. Besides, it never would've worked in the long run anyway. They were too opposite. People said opposites attract, but in reality opposites could never make it work. Shikamaru wasn't a prince. Or maybe she wasn't a princess.

Either way, she wasn't meant to have a fairy tale. She wasn't that kind of girl. She refused to be that damsel.

It was better this way.

It had to be.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, how did that chapter turn out? Review please, I really need it today. One of those really, _really_ bad days, well, more like really, _really _bad week. Ugh.


	10. When There Are No Walls To Hide Behind

_Ch.10: When There Are No Walls to Hide Behind  
_

* * *

**A/N:** I feel compelled to defend Temari. Some of you expressed that you agreed with Temari last chapter and some said you thought she was too much of a cranky bitch (or something along those lines). I intended to make her a little to angry and easily upset, because I wanted to show something. I think Temari is one of those really _tough _women, but I also believe that when she'd find love she'd be afraid of it, because love is something that, while good (probably, I mean, I've never been in love) is also something that makes you weaker. And weakness isn't something that I think someone as tough as her would like to feel. I think she would fight it and act completely irrational. I really wanted to show that, and I'm not sure if I managed it well last chapter.

* * *

She could _feel_ Gaara's eyes boring into her. She could _feel_ Kankurou's annoyance. She could also _feel_ their worry.

And that was the decidedly worst feeling of all.

She sighed in frustration and removed her hand from her eyes dropping it to her side letting the limb hang from the couch. She glanced at her younger brothers. "Out with it already."

Gaara was sitting on the coffee table before the couch she was stretched upon. Kankurou sat at the arm of the couch where her feet where propped upon. Both of her brothers looked concerned. Concerned for her, she thought. Kankurou's head titled to the side, eyebrows creased.

"Go on, spit it out." Temari snapped in annoyance. Normally, neither of them hesitated to make their opinion known. This current situation was bothering her. The bothersome deal of knowing they had something to say, but heir refusal to say anything at all was more than just a little bit unsettling.

Kankurou sighed. "Temari, you…" He frowned.

"You've been lying on that couch for three days now." Gaara said softly. "We're starting to worry about you."

It had been three days?

Kankurou shrugged. "Seriously. What's it that's got you so upset? This – this isn't _normal_, Temari."

She was aware she'd been immobile and hopelessly stupid for quite awhile now, but she hadn't realized it had been three days. Boy, was she pathetic.

"It's…Nothing, I'm just being idiotic." Temari sat up and gave them the best smile she could muster at the moment. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Gaara looked skeptical.

Kankurou called her bluff. "Bullshit." He got off the couch and stretched his arms above his head. "That isn't working for me." He paused. "Tenten says it's because of some spat you had with Shikamaru."

"Since when do you talk with Tenten?"

"Since you decided to become a hermit."

"_Is_ it the Shikamaru thing?" Gaara asked head inclined.

"That's what everyone's saying." Kankurou affirmed.

"From what I hear _you_ broke up with him." Gaara frowned. "Why would you be—?"

"I'm not anything, and it's _not_ that." Temari responded testily. She had broken up with him dammit; she should not be feeling mopey. It was her choice and she was better for it. Ten times better.

Right?

She grimaced. It was only after she saw the expression on her brothers' faces that she realized grimacing probably wasn't the smartest action for her to do when they were scrutinizing her psychological and physical health.

"It _is_ that, isn't it?" Gaara asked quietly.

"It is _not_ that." Temari muttered angrily trying to defend herself. Her pride. Her point. Trying to lie. "_I_ broke up with _him_. I've no reason to feel sad because of that."

"Why _did_ you break up with him, Temari?" Kankurou asked casually. "Since that isn't the problem I'm sure you can answer me that." He flexed his fingers. "I mean, you were happy with him, and he was nice with you, and it really seemed like you two were genuinely in love."

"We were _not_ in anything." Temari snapped angrily.

"Just the fact that you're angry," Gaara replied, "proves that you were. Or at the very least, that _you_ loved him."

"I _never_ loved him, Gaara." Temari growled. She should've continued ignoring them.

Temari jumped as someone exuberantly plopped onto the couch beside her. Their skin touched and the person's force in jumping onto the couch sent the couch riveting a bit.

Beside her the person turned and brown eyes stared resolutely into hers. "You've got delusion down to an art if you can make yourself believe that, porcupine." Tenten sat cross-legged on their couch, annoyance written clearly across her features. "You're causing a hell of a lot of trouble around here, you realize, and it's all pointless trouble."

"Tidbit, get out of my house."

She snorted. "Yeah right, like I'll obey your orders." She pushed her causing Temari to fall on her back. "I'm not Hinata, girl." Tenten crossed her arms across her chest.

Temari pushed herself up. "Don't you dare push me again, freak."

Tenten's eyes narrowed. "If you weren't fucking with my friends, porcupine, I wouldn't have to."

"I'm not—"

"Shut up." Tenten growled. "I'm not here for your excuses. All I want is an answer, and, _girl_, it better be a good one."

"You are not welcome here, get out."

"I was invited, Blonde."

Temari scoffed. "By whom?"

She sneered, "Kankurou."

It took Temari a second to recover from that. She shifted her gaze to her brother. He nodded. Tenten had accepted an invitation from Kankurou? What exactly had happened while she was moping? "Well, now I'm un-inviting you."

"Too damn bad."

Kankurou chuckled nervously. "Listen, maybe you all should calm d—"

"Shut up." Temari and Tenten spat at him.

Gaara sighed and pushed himself up from the coffee table. "Kankurou, let's go."

Kankurou fidgeted. "Gaara, they're going to kill each other."

"They need to work things out." He said quietly. "Leave them be." The redhead quickly and quietly slipped out of the room. Temari was almost sure she heard the front door open.

Kankurou hesitated for a few seconds, "Neji's gonna kill me if Tenten ends up dead." He muttered under his breath then he followed after his younger brother. This time, Temari was sure she heard the front door open and close.

They'd left her completely alone with Tidbit.

Kankurou was right about something, Temari thought as she looked at the angry brunette. When they were done talking, one of them was _not_ going to look the same. Most likely, someone would end up with a broken nose.

Or more.

Tenten shifted, an incredibly irate expression on her features. "I'm waiting."

"Keep waiting." Temari stood up indignantly with every intention of barricading herself in her room.

Of course, the nice exit was ruined by Tenten tripping her. Temari fell onto the floor hard. Ouch. That was going to hurt tomorrow morning. She rolled over and sat up.

"Temari, I'm not in a passive mood. Hell, I'm not a passive _person_. Speak."

"Get lost." Temari was furious. She was furious with the girl's orders. She was furious with the feelings inside of her. She was just plain furious.

Tenten scowled. "I am not leaving until I get my answer, sugar queen."

Temari pressed her lips together and glared resolutely at the wall. She didn't want to deal with this today. Hell, she didn't ever want to deal with it. It was better left undealt.

"Alright, fine, we'll play twenty questions." Tenten was almost growling. "Why did you break up with him?"

Temari bit her lower lip but chose not to reply.

"Well? _Why_?"

"Because."

"That isn't a reason." Tenten snapped.

"It is to me." Temari defended.

"Uh!" She stood up defiantly, "I just knew you were a bitch the minute I saw you." Tenten's brown eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "You know, when it became clear Shikamaru was interested in you – which was _way_ before you two did anything by the way – Ino declared he shouldn't start anything with you. I thought she was just being Ino, but she was perfectly in the right. You should have stayed in Suna!"

"Maybe I should have."

"Don't you even care how he's doing? Don't you even care that he's currently in cour—"

"He can do whatever he wants!" Temari screamed in frustration. "And no! I do _not_ care! I don't care about—" The words died in her mouth as Tenten's hand struck her cheek. Temari's eyes widened and lifted her fingers to her sore cheek.

"You are a malicious woman." The brunette turned on her heel and marched out the door.

The slamming of the door was loud enough that Temari imagined the entire house was shaking with the force of the slam.

Temari's fingers lingered at her cheek as she made her way up to her room. What right did that stupid brunette have to slap her and call her a righteous bitch? _Violent_ bitch – _whatever_. Temari slammed the door to her room behind her. She leant against the door and closed her eyes trying to calm the annoying feelings inside of her.

She was not an anything. What she did was best.

For her and for him.

She staggered over to her bed and collapsed face first on top of the cotton purple blankets.

Really, it's not like she wanted to be _that type _of person, and getting rid of her had to be the easiest venue for him. He _hated_ trouble, and she was buckets of it. Temari enveloped herself in the blankets on her bed and stared gloomily out the window.

Her life was starting to become a fairy tale and that's when she realized she didn't think she wanted one. What kind of a stupid story was it anyway? How could a damn princess just up and give everything up for a guy? Cinderella for instance. How could she be willing to go off with the prince when the prince didn't even know who she was? When the prince was perfectly willing to take any girl who would be able to wear the glass slipper? I mean, really, many girls had to have the same size feet. The prince was and idiot, and Cinderella a bigger idiot for deciding to go with him. She did not want to be an idiot. She was not going to be an idiot.

The pitter patter sound of fat wet drops hitting the clear window filled the room and the grey skies blocked out any sunlight that might have graced the day.

The perfect weather for a crappy day.

She grimaced and rolled over burying her head in the pillows.

Temari shrunk into herself as a piercing thunder cut through the suffocating silence.

_Oh_, how she hated thunder.

Ten minutes later, Temari was completely burrowed under her blankets crouching into herself wishing the thunder would just go away. Far, _far_, away. **(****1****)**

She jumped violently as a piercing ring invaded her senses. Temari screamed and dug her fingers firmly into the sheets, her surroundings becoming obsolete. Shuddering horribly, she held on to her side trying to calm herself down.

There was another loud slash of noise, different from the first.

She shut her eyes tight willing the thunder away.

The ringing kept cutting through the air over and over.

It took her a few seconds to realize the some of the noise was not in fact thunder, but her youngest brother's cell phone. Temari clenched her teeth in annoyance. Great, she was terrified of a ringing phone. She swiggled out of the sheets and headed to her door, but dashed back as a loud crack filled the air. Temari hugged the sheets close to her, mentally berating herself for her cowardice.

Of all things to be afraid of, why did she have to fear thunder? Really. She could deal with snakes, insects, rats, heights, darkness, even wolves, but a tiny ray of light and noise left her trembling in utter terror.

The phone continued to ring.

Temari squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a heavy breath. She pulled the sheets tighter around her body and slowly made her way into her brother's room. Every time a roar of thunder sounded throughout the house Temari froze up and clutched more firmly at the sheets around her body.

Finally Temari got herself in the room.

Despite her current state, Temari managed to critique the large mess. She wrinkled her nose at the horrible disorder. His sheets were strewn all over the room, dirty wrinkled clothes covered the floor, and his possessions, from books to electronic equipment, were hidden underneath each other in the most annoying and bothersome ways. What a pig. He was worse than Kankurou.

Temari followed the sound of the phone. After about a minute she found the contraption burrowed under a heavy book on schizophrenia, which was under seven shirts, which was under what appeared to be a broken laptop. Knowing her brothers, it had probably still been fully functional before they 'tinkered' with it; Kankurou had probably just thought it would be amusing to take it apart and 'trick' it out.

Temari wrapped the sheets around her tighter and dropped to the floor pushing up against the bed frame of the bed as a clap of thunder sounded out.

She held the phone tightly in her hand and flicked it open. "H-H-Hello?" She murmured softly into the phone.

The person on the other line hesitated. ". . . This isn't G-Gaara is i-it?"

Temari tried to calm her breathing. "N-No, this is Temari; Gaara left his phone at home. Do you want me to—" Temari stopped abruptly as she distinctly heard the click of the phone. She pulled it away from her and stared curiously at the phone. Her brow furrowed. 'The hell? Without thinking, she dialed the number back, fully frustrated. Particularly because she was positive the person who'd called was Hinata. And being hung up on by the nicest girl in Konoha was more than just a little annoying.

"Hello?" The person answered, confusion evident in her tone.

"'The hell did you hang up on me for?"

Hesitation again.

"I ju-just wanted to talk to G-Gaara."

"Well, now you're talking to me. Why did you hang up on me?" Temari growled. On the other line Hinata hesitated again. Temari was about to yell at the timid girl when another roaring thunder sounded out.

Temari screamed out and dropped the phone.

She pulled the blanket over her head.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

_**RIING!**_

Temari screamed again. This time she recognized almost instantly it was the phone. "F-F-Fu-Fucking phone!" Poking her hand out of the sheets she searched the floor around her blindly for the phone. Her fingers closed around it by the fourth ring. She pulled her arm back into the sheet bauble and answered it. "Y-Y-Yes?"

"Temari, what is it? Is something wrong?" Hinata's voice was panicked and frightened. "Temari! Please speak to me! What's happening?"

Temari winced and squeaked pitifully as the thunder struck again. She tried her hardest to suppress the scream. "I'm f-fine."

"You don't sound fine!" Hinata snapped.

Temari had never heard the poor girl sound so bossy and motherly. "It's no-nothing."

"Don't lie to me." Hinata said sternly.

"It's just," Temari's breath increased rapidly and she squeezed her eyes shut, "the thunder." _Oh_, she _hated_ thunder.

"Thunder?" Hinata let out a breath of relief. "It's just thunder?"

"Yes." Temari replied quietly.

Confusion filled her tone then, "You're terrified of thunder?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to come over?"

Temari's heart warmed at her suggestion. "Thanks, Hinata, but it's alright, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Hinata sounded as if she didn't believe her. "Very well; will you tell Gaara I called?"

Temari slouched. "Yes, dear, I will." Temari paused, "Wait. Hinata?"

She hesitated. "Yes?"

"Why did you hang up on me?"

Temari could hear the girl's uncertainty over the line. "I'm supposed to be mad at you."

"You're supposed to…?"

"Well, I'm supposed to hate you according to Ino and Tenten, but I don't. I mean, I _am_ mad at you, very much so, but I still like you. I think you just need a reality check."

"About," Temari inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of another clap of thunder, "what?"

"What else?" Hinata sighed, "Shi-Shikamaru."

"It's better this way."

"For who?"

"Everybody."

Hinata sighed. "Gaara tells me you haven't been doing well. He says you mope all day at home, and he's heard you fall asleep crying ever since you broke up with him. If you a-ask me, you're being st-stupid."

"Say it like you mean it." Temari mumbled without thinking it over.

"You're being _idiotic_." Hinata enunciated clearly. "Love is scary, get over it." She paused. "Please."

Temari stared at her feet.

"Really, Temari, nothing changes if you love. You only feel better."

"And worse."

"Great things have great consequences." Hinata mumbled softly.

Temari paused. "Hinata, are you in love with my brother?'

Hinata stuttered, "Th-That-we-it's not…"

Temari sighed. "I thought so." She winced as the thunder filled the empty house. "B-bye, Bluey, I'll t-t-tell Gaara you called."

Before the timid girl could utter another word Temari closed the phone shut. She hugged the blankets closer to her body and crawled up into the bed. Pulling one of her brother's pillows toward her, she lay down and tried to will her fears away.

She was tired.

She was sad.

She was scared.

This day just wasn't any good. If she just went to sleep, maybe she'd wake up to a better day. Shoot, if she was lucky she could wake up to a different world.

Eventually she settled into an uncomfortable and paranoid sleep. At least it _was_ sleep.

She hugged the soft thing closer to her body and attempted to cuddle closer to it. Temari's lips tugged into an annoyed frown at the lack of response.

It was too soft.

Too squishy.

Too inanimate.

What the hell was wrong with it?

Temari growled in annoyance and sat up.

"Stupid fucking pillow." She growled.

She blinked as she realized what she was doing.

It was a _pillow_.

It was a pillow for goodness' sakes! Here she was annoyed with the pillow because it wasn't real. She was irritated with the pillow because it didn't hug her back.

Temari's gut twisted painfully at that thought.

Pillows couldn't hug you. Pillows didn't provide warmth. Pillows didn't laugh at you and pillows couldn't provide stimulating conversation.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

A heavy crack interrupted her somber attitude and the loudest scream yet split from her lips. Temari wrapped her arms around her body and started whispering vehemently under her breath.

"It's just thunder, it's just thunder, it's just thunder."

Her heart was beating madly, her body quaking with uncontrollable shivers, her gut painfully sad, and fear rising dramatically throughout her. Another thunderous roar sounded through the house. Temari squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, but tears fell even despite that. In just a minute Temari was a sobbing, shaking, sad, frightened balled up pathetic excuse for a human being.

Temari jumped as a warm substance enveloped her.

Temari didn't dare open her eyes, but she felt the warmth gain a figure. Arms wrapped around her and hugged her tightly; lips pressed against her forehead and murmured soothing words in her ear. Temari leaned into the person and let the sobs fall.

Another crack of thunder startled her.

She screamed again and dug her nails into the person.

The person didn't even wince.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, I also want to thank each and every one of my reviewers for you words. It made me feel sooo much better; some days I just need a boost. Thank you, thank you so very much.

Also, I think there's only about one chapter left to this story. Sorry. I have been contemplating continuation in this universe but telling about Neji and Tenten's relationship. (I never intended to make it KankurouxTenten) I'm not sure if I will write a partner story about them just yet, though. I've also been thinking the same about Gaara and Hinata. But again, I'm not sure.

Once again, thank you guys so much! You're the best.

* * *

**(1****)** I sort of got the idea from Ouran High School Host Club. I took the terrible fear of thunder from Haruhi. If you've seen it, then you probably understand more-or-less how I have Temari here. But you don't need to see it to get it.

* * *


	11. My Happily Ever After

_Ch.11:__My Happily Ever After_

* * *

She dug her fingers into the person, whimpering as another loud crack of thunder permeated throughout the room. What the hell kind of people built a house were the noise of thunder could flow through the damn walls? Why couldn't there be such a thing as sound-proof houses?!

Temari couldn't stop the fear and irrationality spilling from somewhere deep inside her; she wanted desperately to push away the fear and put on a strong front. She wanted to so bad, but she couldn't. She simply could not. She was completely _scared_. It had hardly ever rained in Suna and when it did the thunder was never, never _this_ loud. She hadn't even stopped to consider whom it was that was currently consoling her.

Though she realized it a few seconds later.

A heady scent of tobacco smoke drifted around her. She stiffened. Through her heavy sobs and violent shaking she tried to push him away. She scratched him in her panic, but his fingers closed around her wrists to calm her down. "Temari! Temari!" His dark eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Dammit, woman, stop that! It hurts."

"Let me go! Let me _go_!"

He dropped his grip on her wrists and Temari made her way to run out of her younger brother's room, but froze upon another loud crack of thunder. Her pride didn't let her run back into Shikamaru's arms like she wanted, but her fear didn't let her _move_. She stood there in the doorway arms wrapped around her middle, tears running down her face trying hard to convince herself it wasn't scary at all. Another crack of thunder, louder than any of the previous, was enough to abolish her pride completely. She launched herself at him shaking. She buried her face in his chest. "Don't let me go." She murmured frantically, scared beyond compare.

He didn't laugh or chuckle or growl in annoyance, he merely wrapped his arms tightly around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm never going to let you go, Temari." He whispered. "Never."

Temari wrapped her fingers in his shirt. "Promise?"

One of his hands left her and wiggled to find her own. She watched as she hooked his pinky with hers. "Pinky promise."

Temari chuckled softly. CRACK! A squeak of fear escaped from her and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Why was thunder so _loud_ in Konoha?

He pulled her tighter.

She felt something around her ears. Frowning she separated slightly from him and looked at his face. She drew a hand up to her ear. Headphones? In Shikamaru's hand was a simple silver iPod. He pushed a button and loud rock music streamed from the headphones. He placed the silver mechanism in her hands and once more wrapped his arms around her tightly. Temari pressed into him, closed her eyes, and tried hard to ignore the cracking sound outside.**(****1****)**

--

Temari stirred and cracked her eyes open. The music was still pounding from the headphones and Shikamaru's arms still hugged her tightly.

She lowered the headphones and looked up at him. He was leaning against the wall of the room with his eyes closed looking incredibly peaceful. Temari's eyes wandered to the window.

It was pitch black.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, it only made sense. It wasn't raining anymore. Or at least, it didn't sound like it. She touched the window pane, but pulled her fingers away quickly. It was really cold. She rubbed her hands together.

Shikamaru chuckled.

Temari whipped her head at him. "I thought you were asleep."

"_You_ were asleep. I was merely resting."

"What time is it?"

Shikamaru looked at the iPod. "Three in the morning."

Temari frowned. It _was_ late. "Where's Gaara?"

"In your room. Seeing how you took his."

Temari scowled. "I…"

"You?"

She turned her head and stared resolutely at the floor. "Nothing." She paused. "You should go Shikamaru."

He stretched and let out a loud yawn. "I will if you want me to, but I'd like to know what you meant three days ago."

"I mean what I said."

"Oh, and it doesn't stand anymore?"

"It still stands."

"You just asked me not to leave."

"I was scared!" Temari defended. "That had nothing to do with – to do with anything."

"I pinky promised. You can't break that kind of promise."

Temari glared at him. "I _want_ you to break it."

"Well, _I_ don't want to." His eyes were heavy and he seemed more lethargic than usual.

He was hiding something.

"Why did you want to break up with me, Temari?"

"Because."

"That's not a reason."

Temari glared at the wall. "Why does everyone insist on telling me that?"

"Because it's a legitimate point." He frowned. "And who's everyone?"

"I just don't want to be with you anymore."

"Why?"

Temari felt her insides squirm with embarrassment and her heart laden with sadness. "I don't want to be that girl."

His brow furrowed in annoyance. "What girl?"

"The girl who's life revolves around a guy."

He snorted. His voice was clipped and cold. "You could never be _that_ girl. You would never put off what you wanted over _any_ guy, you're too fucking hard-headed for that. You always have your own life, even when you give everything. If this is over something that stupid, then you might as well break ties with your brothers."

Temari's eyes dropped down. "It isn't—"

"What?" He snapped. "It isn't the same?"

"_No_! It's not the same." She growled. "My brothers couldn't kill my soul if they decided they didn't want me as a sister. It would hurt like hell, but I could go on." She felt heat rise to her face. "I couldn't say the same about you."

"That's what this is!?" His voice was furious now. "You're afraid of being weak?"

She didn't think she'd ever heard him speak like to her. Or really, anyone else for that matter. "That isn't a simple concept!" She protested.

"Yes, it is, dammit!" His dark eyes smoldered at her. "You're going to toss away something good because you're _scared_?!"

"_Yes_! There is nothing wrong with that! It's only reasonable! It's only human!"

"Be brave, Temari, take a shot." His eyes had never looked darker to her. "You're afraid to trust in _us_, how the hell do you expect to be able to do anything else?"

"Everything else is easier." She snapped.

"Who would've thought you would take the easy route." He drawled sardonically.

"Leave me alone, Shikamaru, and just go home."

His hands wrapped around hers, and like every time he touched her, her heart beat madly and shivers – the good kind – ran up her spine. "Trust me, Temari. I meant it when I said I'd never leave."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

He squeezed her hands. "Faith." With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru brushed away blonde strands from her face and looked her in the eye. "Look, I'm trying. I don't," He struggled, "I don't try so hard for someone this difficult – ever. But I'm here, and I'm – I'm trying. I don't…I want you in my life, and if I have to kill myself with exhaustion to get you to see that, then that's what I'm going to do." He paused. "I don't…I always thought females were always more trouble than they're worth. And, well, you _are_ more trouble than you're worth, but it's the kind of trouble I like, and I want and dammit, woman, if I have to buy you flowers or write you some stupid poetry then I will. If I have to be a prince I will. These last three days have been fucking troublesome. I'll do what I have to do, to have you. I'm giving a speech, woman, do you know much trouble this is?" He sighed in annoyance. "It wasn't supposed to sound like that." Shikamaru scratched at his head; strands of dark brown hair spilled free from his ponytail and covered his face. For the first time Temari really took in his appearance. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was a complete mess, his eyes sad, his expression upset, and his demeanor was heavy.

Tenten's words about messing with her friends came back to her.

Hinata's words about not being scared came back to her.

Neither girl would be so vehement about them getting back together if they thought Shikamaru was fine with the entire breakup. Temari fidgeted.

_Love is scary, get over it._

There was something seriously wrong with her when she was running away from love. Hinata could accept it. How could she not? Fear.

Fear.

Would she really let fear rule her?

Love is scary.

Love is scary.

A light pink tinge settled across Shikamaru's cheeks. "I love you, Temari."

Her heart fluttered heavily.

Temari chewed her lower lip.

Love is scary.

Love is scary.

Temari launched herself at him; she draped her arms around his neck and hugged tightly. "I love you too," She murmured quietly. His arms circled around her. "Please don't ever let me do something stupid like break up with you again."

He kissed her forehead. Then his lips traveled down her face: her cheek, her nose, her chin, and her lips.

She could feel her heart pound strongly against her ribcage. Temari was temporarily afraid her organs would break.

Hearts _were_ supposed to be fragile things.

_CRASH_!

"Oww! Oww! _Ow_!" A feminine voice chimed loudly from outside the room.

Another feminine voice laughed throatily. "That's what you get for snooping!"

"Gaara didn't get hurt!" The first voice complained loudly.

"Yes, well," Gaara rasped, "you're clumsy."

"Am not, Temari's clumsy." The first voice protested again.

Temari's brow furrowed. "Is that Hinata?"

Shikamaru grinned. "Tenten too, apparently."

She frowned. "What are they talking about?"

Just then, the door opened and Kankurou came stumbling in.

Temari looked at her brother in confusion. "_What_ is going on?"

Kankurou looked at her, then at Shikamaru, then back at her. "You lie." He called out to the people downstairs. "They're not doing anything."

Tenten jumped him, her arms around Kankurou's neck. It almost looked as if the puppeteer was giving her a piggy-back ride. "Hinata dearest says they just claimed their undying love for each other." Tenten smirked conspiratorially. "She also claims they just talked about having sex."

Temari blushed furiously. "We did _not_!"

Tenten slid down to the floor gracefully. "See, you see that heavy blush on both their faces." Temari looked at Shikamaru, and sure enough he was bright red. "They were talking about having sex." Her eyes glittered, "Do you need condoms? I'm sure Kankurou has some. Oh, I _know_ Hinata has some."

"_Tenten_!" Hinata scolded, completely horrified. The pale girl marched up the stairs resting against the wall clearly out of breath. Her indigo hair was frazzled and her lavender eyes were wide. Temari also thought her clothes looked a bit disheveled.

Tenten shrugged. "What did I say?" She defended. "I mean, you do have some."

Temari stared at the small girl. "_You do_?"

Hinata flushed horribly, but nodded her head up and down.

Kankurou looked about ready to faint, Shikamaru looked distinctly amused, and Gaara (who'd followed Hinata up the stairs) looked vaguely shocked.

Temari was ready to start asking her about that, when a piece of information fermented in her mind. "Hold on, _snooping_?"

Tenten chuckled and pointed at the pale girl and the redhead. "Bad children."

Gaara shrugged, "You took my room; I believe I'm allowed to listen to all conversations that transpire in my room."

"Really, Gaara," Temari muttered in amazement, "Kankurou's usually the busybody."

"Tenten had him occupied playing Monopoly." Gaara said as if it explained his decision to spy.

"Who won?" Shikamaru asked.

Tenten frowned. "Me, I guess, considering everyone got so annoyed they gave up and threw their money at me."

Temari snickered.

Shikamaru yawned. "Who's everyone?"

"Well, the people who had been playing were," Tenten started ticking names off her fingers. "Me, Neji, Kankurou, Chouji, Naruto, Ino, Hinata, Gaara, and Kiba." She chewed on her lower lip. "Yeah, I think that's it."

Temari blinked. "All those people are in my house?"

"Nah. Everyone but me and Hina left." She shrugged. "Something about it being an ungodly hour to be awake. They're nuts right? The hours of the morning before the sun rises are the perfect time to be awake."

Temari sniggered.

This had to be the worst constructed fairy tale in the history of fairy tales.

Another thought struck her. "Shikamaru?"

Her lazy boyfriend yawned. "Yeah?"

"Why did you come here?"

He blinked.

"I mean, why then? And how did you get in?"

He shrugged. "I cracked the lock and…" His eyes wandered over to the pale girl.

Temari stared speculatively at her, "Bluey?"

Hinata shrugged, "After we hung up I called Shikamaru. You sounded really scared. So I called him and told him that you were terrified of thunder and home alone. My dad wouldn't let me leave the house since it was pouring down hard; everyone else was really pissed off at you, and Gaara and Kankurou were nowhere to be found, so I called him. " She fidgeted. "I wasn't going to leave you scared and lonely like that even if I _was_ a bit mad at you."

"Was?" Temari pressed. "So you aren't anymore?"

She shook her head. "Nope. You fixed your error."

Tenten yawned. "I'm still pissed at you." The brunette cracked her knuckles. "But, I think if you treat me to dinner those bitter feelings might just fade."

Temari lay back down on the bed. "You guys are weird."

"Yes," Kankurou muttered, "coming from you that's quite a reliable assessment."

"Just what are you insinuating, brother?"

"Simple. You're fucking nuts."

Temari rolled her eyes. Her brothers were the weirdest things.

Temari sat up abruptly as a familiar song busted through the headphones around her neck. "I like this song." She mentioned happily.

**_Ever ever after_(2)**

**_Storybook endings _**

**_Fairy tales coming true_**

**_Deep down inside _**

**_We want to believe they still do_**

**_In our secretest heart_**

**_It's our favorite part of the story_**

**_Let's just admit _**

**_We all want to make it to  
_**

**_Ever ever after_**

**_If we just don't get it our own way_**

**_Ever ever after_**

**_It may only be a wish away_**

Beside her Shikamaru smirked. "I heard it a few days ago and downloaded it because it reminded me of you."

**_Start a new fashion_**

**_Wear your heart on your sleeve_**

**_Sometimes you reach what's realest _**

**_By making believe_**

**_Unafraid, unashamed_**

**_There is joy to be claimed in this world_**

Temari blushed.

Tenten rolled her eyes and exited the room pulling Kankurou and Hinata behind her. Gaara stood at the doorway for a few seconds then turned to follow the indigo haired girl with a small smile.

"They think we're corny don't they?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Does it matter if they do?"

Temari played with the hem of her shirt. "I suppose not, but, I've never really been corny, you know? It doesn't fit."

Shikamaru snickered silently. "It does now apparently."

"It's the fairytale thing of this song," Temari smiled, "that reminded you of me wasn't it?"

"Well you are always off on fairy tales and dreams."

Temari scowled.

Shikamaru brushed the bangs out of her eyes. "That's not a bad thing, you know."

"Oh, really?"

"It's not for me."

**_You even might wind up _**

**_Being glad to be you_**

**_Ever ever after_**

**_Though the world will tell you _**

**_It's not smart_**

**_Ever ever after_**

**_The world can be yours _**

**_If you let your heart_**

_**Believe in ever after**  
_

Her stomach squirmed pleasantly.

Temari looked at his kind warm eyes. She felt guilty for being cruel to the blonde friend of his. She felt guilty mostly because she hadn't wanted to be quite as bitchy as she had been to her. She'd just been angry, and she tended to say things she really didn't mean when she was angry. "I don't hate Ino."

"I didn't think you did."

She hesitated. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Shikamaru shrugged, a light tinge of pink settling across his cheeks. "Fear."

"_Fear_?" Temari repeated skeptically.

"I was afraid that would change your mind and you wouldn't want to be with me anymore."

"I can't believe _you_ were just calling _me_ a coward." She scoffed. "Chicken."

"Mule."**(****3****)**

"Idiot."

"Moron."

"Sloth."

"Hardass."

"That's not even a real word."

"Yes, well, you often converse with words that aren't real."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah, but I'm special."

Shikamaru grinned at her.

Temari smiled. "I actually like Ino. She's weird, but I like her."

"I knew you would. Eventually everyone likes her." He said calmly, "I was just waiting for that to happen before I explained anything."

"Of course Ino beat you to the punch."

His lips twitched up. "Of course."

There was a slight pause.

Temari smirked at him. "Are you really going to become a deer farmer?"

He looked appalled at the very idea. "The lands may be mine, but I've got better things to do."

"You'd figure you would take the deer farmer route. Less trouble and all that rot."

"What can I say? You've changed me."

**_No wonder your heart _**

**_Feels it's flying_**

**_Your head feels it's spinning_**

**_Each happy ending's _**

**_A brand new beginning_**

**_Let yourself be enchanted_**

**_You just might break through_**

Temari snuggled closer to him and leant against him. "That's good. I don't think I would've liked to marry a deer farmer."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. I mean what kind of a modern-day prince – or king – takes a career as a deer farmer? Kind of ruins the novelty of the fairy tale don't you think?"

He kissed her. "So you've decided you're the princess now?"

The feeling of his lips on hers left her mind in a state of momentary malfunction. She stumbled over her words. "Wh-What was the question?"

He chuckled.

"Freak."

"You too."

**_To ever ever after_**

**_Forever could even start today_**

**_Ever ever after_**

**_Maybe it's just one wish away_**

**_Your ever ever after_**

Konoha wasn't so bad.

There was really good friends.

There was a much better family.

There was Shikamaru.

Her arms held her tightly and warmly. His lips brushed against her earlobe. "Well, my princess, I'm never letting you go."

She sighed contentedly. "That damn well better be true, Nara." Maybe there was a reason all the heroines in the fairytales acted moronically. Maybe, trusting in this was better than any possible repercussions. "Because I'm never letting you let me go either."

That didn't mean she had to act like they did.

She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

She would fight to keep what she wanted.

And she wanted him.

**_Ever ever ever after_**

**_(I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss)_**

* * *

**A/N:** First time I ever mixed in song lyrics with an actual story; did it come out okay? Also, do you guys think I explained her uncertainty well? I really wanted to express that clearly, but I wasn't sure if I did it justice.

Anywho, this fic is now officially over. I'm sad, it really was rather fun to write. Maybe I will continue on the Neji/Tenten or Gaara/Hinata addition if enough inspiration strikes me. In case anyone's interested, I also have a Gaa/Hina mention that I intended to go in this chapter, but it didn't quite seem to fit, but I liked it far too much to delete permanently so it's posted instead at my wordpress account under "Bluey's Marriage"; It should be the first one. You could find that as my homepage on my profile in case you guys want to check it out.

You guys were great, and thanks so much for all your reviews! You all are just awesome! Hope this met your expectations.

* * *

**(1****)** Still working with the scene between Hikaru and Haruhi from Ouran Host High School Club. More or less the same scene occurred there.

**(2****)** The song is "Ever Ever After" by Carrie Underwood. It played at the end of the Disney movie Enchanted. (I liked that movie. It was so cute!)

**(3****) **In case that wasn't obvious, I meant 'mule' as in the 'you're stubborn as a mule' mention.


End file.
